Student Struck in Apparent Hit-and-Run at ICE Protest

A student-led protest in Fremont, Nebraska, turned dangerous on Thursday when a red SUV struck a student and then drove away, according to school officials and video of the apparent hit-and-run incident, reports Nebraska Public Media. Footage from News Channel Nebraska shows the vehicle, flying a flag backing Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, parked near students on a sidewalk as they demonstrate. One student steps in front of the SUV; the driver pulls forward slowly, then accelerates, hitting the student, who appears to land on the hood before rolling off. The driver, who was reported to have gotten out of the vehicle at one point to exchange words with protesters, briefly slows, revs the car engine, then leaves the scene.

WOWT has a second video of the incident, which shows at least two young passengers in the car other than the driver. Fremont Public Schools said the student, an unidentified female, was taken to a hospital after the incident, which occurred around 2pm during what the district described as a non-school-sponsored, student-led protest, per News Channel Nebraska. She was reportedly "alert, talking, and smiling while interacting with first responders." Administrators had been nearby to monitor safety and behavior, per a school district rep.

In a statement, GOP Rep. Mike Flood, who owns News Channel Nebraska, called the incident "disturbing," noting it "needs to be fully investigated by law enforcement" and emphasizing the importance of being able to protest safely, per NPM. Students were rallying against Immigration and Customs Enforcement after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis in separate incidents over the past three weeks, protests that have sparked broader demonstrations in Nebraska and elsewhere.

Kristan Harris, who tells KETV she's the sister of the SUV driver, asks that everyone remember "there's two sides to every story." She insists that her brother "was just scared" and "didn't know what to do." Fremont police, meanwhile, haven't yet said if any arrests or citations were made.