Karwan Breem, 18, and Sister Karolin Breem, 15, Identified as Lincoln Public Schools Students Killed in High-Speed Crash on Antelope Valley Parkway; Police Cite Hydroplaning and Wet Roads in Tragic Collision That Injured Oklahoma Driver

The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, is mourning the devastating loss of two young siblings—Karwan Breem, 18, and his 15-year-old sister, Karolin Breem—after a violent car crash on Monday afternoon claimed both of their lives and left another young man injured. The tragic incident occurred just after 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of Antelope Valley Parkway and Virginia Street, in an area where commuters, students, and pedestrians are no strangers to traffic, but rarely witness loss on such a catastrophic scale.

According to preliminary findings from the Lincoln Police Department, the crash unfolded with startling speed. The Breem siblings were traveling northbound in a red 2014 Cadillac ATS, driven by Karwan. At some point during the journey, investigators say, Karwan made a rapid lane change in an apparent attempt to pass two vehicles ahead of him. It was then that the Cadillac accelerated sharply—an action that, under dry circumstances, might have been recoverable. But on Monday, the weather had left the roads slick with moisture, and the car lost traction.

Police believe that the Cadillac hydroplaned—its tires skimming atop the wet asphalt, unable to grip the road—before striking the curb. That impact sent the vehicle into a spin, a loss of control that proved both sudden and irretrievable. The Cadillac then crossed over the centerline into oncoming southbound traffic, where it collided head-on with a blue 2017 Nissan Frontier.

The driver of the Nissan, a 19-year-old man from Oklahoma, sustained injuries and was taken to a local hospital. Authorities have stated that his injuries are non-life-threatening—a small mercy in a collision that otherwise took two lives. No additional passengers were reported in either vehicle.

Karwan and Karolin Breem were both transported from the crash site to the hospital, where, despite emergency medical efforts, they were pronounced dead from their injuries. It was only hours later, after next of kin had been notified and identities verified, that Lincoln police formally released their names to the public.

Their deaths immediately resonated through the halls of Lincoln Public Schools, where both teens were enrolled. While their respective campuses have not been publicly named, the district confirmed their status as current students, and school leaders quickly mobilized counseling and support resources for classmates, teachers, and staff impacted by the tragedy.

“This is an incredibly painful time for our school community,” a district spokesperson said. “We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of two young lives full of promise. Our thoughts are with all the families impacted by this event, and we are offering our full support.”

For investigators, the crash is being reviewed with scrutiny and care. While the preliminary cause is believed to involve speed and adverse road conditions, a full forensic reconstruction is underway. Officers are examining potential contributing factors such as the condition of the vehicle, the exact rate of acceleration, tire wear, and environmental variables like standing water or oil patches. Investigators are also likely to review Karwan’s driving history, if any, and the mechanical functionality of the Cadillac at the time of the crash.

Witness accounts, dashcam footage, and any nearby traffic surveillance video will all form part of the broader inquiry into what precisely led to the fatal moment when a maneuver intended to bypass traffic spiraled into deadly loss of control.

The broader community, meanwhile, is left to grapple with what many describe as a deeply emotional and preventable tragedy. Tributes have begun to appear online from fellow students and community members who knew the siblings or were moved by the gravity of their loss. Friends described Karwan as ambitious and outgoing, someone who had embraced the responsibilities of young adulthood with energy. Karolin, though younger, was described by peers as kind, intelligent, and artistic—a quiet but steady presence in classrooms and extracurricular spaces.

Their deaths mark not only a personal loss for their family but a symbolic wound for a city that has now joined the growing number of American communities mourning young lives lost in traffic collisions that combine speed, youth, and weather conditions in tragic ways.

Antelope Valley Parkway itself has been the site of multiple traffic incidents in recent years, though rarely with fatalities. A high-speed corridor that runs through dense urban zones and residential pockets, it is a route where driver decisions must be constantly calibrated against changing conditions. Monday’s crash underscores how quickly a minor miscalculation—changing lanes while accelerating on wet pavement—can become irreversible.

As part of its continuing investigation, the Lincoln Police Department is expected to release further findings once the data is fully compiled and reviewed. It is not yet clear whether any citations will be issued posthumously or whether the incident will lead to broader discussions around traffic enforcement, student driver education, or safety awareness campaigns.

But already, the implications are being felt in classrooms, in homes, and on streets where teenage drivers navigate the transition from youth to adulthood with responsibility, but also risk. Lincoln Public Schools, for its part, has announced that grief counselors will be made available throughout the week and that any student in need of emotional support is encouraged to come forward. A moment of silence is expected to be held across multiple campuses later this week in memory of the siblings.

For the Breem family, whose privacy is being respected at this time, the loss is incalculable. The simultaneous death of two children—brother and sister—has placed them at the epicenter of a grief few can imagine. Community leaders have extended condolences and encouraged residents to find ways to support one another in mourning, whether through outreach, memorials, or simply by driving with increased awareness.

In a city that prides itself on safety and cohesion, the crash has become a painful reminder of the fragility of life, especially for young people at the cusp of everything. It is a lesson that no family should have to teach or learn, and one that now leaves behind the memory of Karwan and Karolin Breem—two bright lives cut short, side by side.