Osage Beach to honor fallen police officer with bridge dedication ceremony Friday

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (KMIZ)

Osage Beach Officer Phylicia Carson died during a police chase in August 2024, and over a year later, the city is holding a bridge dedication ceremony in her honor.

The Officer Phylicia Carson Memorial Bridge on Highway 54 runs over the Grand Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks. The Missouri General Assembly voted to name the span in her honor.

The dedication ceremony will take place at Osage Beach City Hall at 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to a city press release. Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to speak alongside Mayor Michael Harmison and state Rep. Jeff Vernetti (R-Camdenton).

“This bridge stands as a testament to Officer Carson’s bravery and the profound impact she had on our city,” Harmison says in the release. “We are honored to have Governor Kehoe and Representative Vernetti join us as we ensure her memory is etched into the history of Osage Beach forever.”

Carson was chasing a suspect when her patrol car skidded off the road and hit a tree. The car caught on fire, and Carson was later pronounced dead at the scene.

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