AFFTON, Mo. — A tragic sequence unfolded in Affton, Missouri, on Friday evening when a police pursuit ended in a fatal accident, leaving a man and a woman dead inside an SUV that was traced back to Texas. The victims were later identified by the Missouri State Highway Patrol as Delisha Evans and Ryan Phillips.
Witnesses reported a chaotic scene around 5:40 p.m. at the intersection of South Rock Hill Road and Pardee Road. Local resident Kyle Moder captured the harrowing moment from his home, noting the intensity of the law enforcement presence and their quick mobilization. “We saw cops and shields coming out,” Moder recounted. “We knew the situation was pretty dire.”
The chase began when the Texas Department of Public Safety alerted Missouri authorities about Phillips, a 33-year-old man wanted in connection with a critical case, who was en route to St. Louis in a red Range Rover. Upon spotting the vehicle, Missouri troopers attempted to pull over the driver, who then escalated the chase by refusing to comply.
The pursuit spiraled onto the residential streets, culminating in the SUV rolling over, an act paired distressingly with a gunfire exchange. “As shots rang out, and we took cover, we realized this wasn’t a usual occurrence for our area,” said Moder, who witnessed between 10 to 15 shots before the SUV ultimately flipped.
Both Phillips and Evans were found dead at the scene, with a gunshot being one potential cause pending further investigation, as noted by Cpl. Logan Bolton of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A firearm was also found next to the wrecked vehicle, although it remains to be confirmed if return fire from the troopers occurred.
The backstory of the deceased further complicates the grim events. According to a close friend of Evans, Salomi Momoh, the pair shared a tumultuous relationship history marked by frequent arguments. “He had threatened her life on several occasions,” shared Momoh. The relationship, which began the previous November near Dallas, ended in August, though the troubles evidently continued.
Further distress was evidenced when Evans’ residence in Texas was discovered to have been set ablaze just two days prior to the deadly chase, with a subsequent missing person alert pinpointing Phillips as a key suspect.
Momoh described Evans as a vibrant mother of two daughters, aged 13 and 4, remembered for her infectious smile and deep connection to friends and family. “He took someone’s daughter, someone’s friend, someone’s mother, selfishly,” Momoh lamented, speaking on the irrevocable loss caused by these events.
This bitter conclusion has left the community both mourning and troubled by the devastating impacts of domestic unrest. It raises broader questions about the measures in place to prevent such escalation and the resources available to those caught in dangerous relational dynamics.
For those affected by similar situations, help is available. Safe Connections Crisis Helpline provides support and can be reached at 314-531-2003. Additionally, Alternatives to Living In Violent Environments offers resources and assistance through their crisis line at 314-993-2777.
This tragic incident underscores the urgent need for community awareness and intervention capabilities to address and mitigate circumstances leading to such violent outcomes. As the investigation continues, the affected families and community seek to recover and press for meaningful changes to safeguard against future tragedies.