Beatrice man dies after accident Monday

Daily Sun staff

Wayne Bitting, a longtime Beatrice resident and former Beatrice City Council member, was killed Monday afternoon in an accident in the 200 block of Court Street.

Bitting, 83, died when his 1985 Ford pickup truck he was driving collided with a parked Chevrolet pickup truck owned by Adam Fielder of Beatrice shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, according to Beatrice Police Officer Jennifer Klaus.

Bitting was taken to Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, where he later died.

Bitting’s wife, Charlotte, also 83, was a passenger in the Ford pickup and was taken to BryanLGH West Medical Center in Lincoln by StarCareV helicopter, Klaus said. She was listed in critical condition Tuesday morning.

At about 3:55 p.m. Monday, Bitting was driving east in the 200 block of Court Street when he struck Fielder’s truck parked on the south side of the street, Klaus said.

Both vehicles were totaled, and several Classic Auto Sales vehicles parked on the south side of Court Street were also damaged as a result of the accident.

Traffic was diverted from U.S. Highway 136 for at least two hours to allow officers to investigate the accident and crews to clean up debris, Klaus said.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Bitting served for many years as Beatrice water superintendent and was later elected to the Beatrice City Council in 1990. He was re-elected in 1994 and 1998.

Further details were unavailable at press time Tuesday morning.