Hasting juvenile in jail after high-speed pursuit

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — A 17-year-old male from Hastings is now in custody after a dramatic high-speed pursuit involving a stolen vehicle that took place on Friday afternoon. Troopers from the Nebraska State Patrol successfully apprehended the suspect following a daring chase on Interstate 80.

At approximately 4:45 p.m. on Friday, a trooper on patrol near mile marker 211 along eastbound Interstate 80 spotted a pickup truck reported as stolen from North Platte. The trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, which was traveling at 97 mph.

Initially complying with the trooper's commands, the stolen pickup came to a halt on the shoulder, but the driver accelerated and fled the scene as soon as the trooper exited his patrol vehicle.

In an effort to slow down the fleeing vehicle, a Dawson County sheriff's deputy managed to deploy stop sticks, a tire-deflating device. Despite this intervention, the determined driver continued their escape, heading eastbound into Buffalo County. The pursuit continued until it reached near mile marker 262, where another trooper effectively utilized a second set of stop sticks, ultimately bringing the stolen vehicle to a halt in the median.

With no further incident, the driver, identified as a 17-year-old male from Hastings, was taken into custody. The suspect now faces a series of charges, including flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and theft by unlawful taking, with a value exceeding $5,000.