Two people were taken into custody Thursday morning after a police chase that reached speeds of up to 100 mph ended just west of Topeka, authorities said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, which began around 9:10 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 70 in Wabaunsee County, where a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper attempted to pull over a red Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicle. The reason for the attempted traffic stop wasn’t immediately available.
Rather than stopping for the trooper, the driver sped off in the Jeep, heading east on I-70 into Shawnee County.
KHP Trooper Bryce Whelpley on chase on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017.
Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Bryce Whelpley said the driver exited I-70 at S.W. Auburn Road. Troopers deployed stop sticks at that location in an attempt to stop the Jeep, but the driver took the vehicle into the grass and continued traveling south on Auburn Road.
Whelpley said the Jeep soon reached speeds of 100 mph as it raced down Auburn Road. He said the Jeep was driven in a “very aggressive and erratic” manner.
The Jeep continued southbound on Auburn Road for about a mile. The driver then attempted to make a left-hand turn onto eastbound S.W. 21st.
At that point, Whelpley said, the driver lost control of the Jeep, which entered a grassy area just east of Auburn Road, as Kansas Highway Patrol cars were in pursuit.
“When he came back onto the road,” Whelpley said, “he rammed a patrol car in the driver’s door.”
Whelpley said the trooper wasn’t injured, but the white patrol car did sustain significant damage on its driver’s door.
Troopers responding to the scene realized the Jeep’s driver already had intentionally hit one of their colleague’s patrol cars and elected to take action to bring the chase to an end.
“With that information and his willingness to do that,” Whelpley said, “we elected to crash him here at this intersection as soon as we had an opportunity to do so.”
A gray highway patrol car rammed the Jeep, sending it into a grassy ditch on the southwest corner of S.W. 21st and Auburn Road.
Whelpley said the Jeep “didn’t roll, and there were no ejections or injuries” that were reported.
“Both of the suspects were eventually taken in to custody,” Whelpley said.
The incident concluded about 9:20 a.m.
The driver and passenger in the Jeep — both men — were taken to the Wabaunsee County Jail in Alma following their apprehension. Their names and a listing of offenses weren’t immediately available.
Whelpley said the driver also will face charges related to aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer in connection with using the jeep to ram the trooper’s patrol car.
He added that narcotics were found inside the Jeep, which could lead to additional charges being filed.
Facebook Live video from the scene.
In the minutes following the chase, Kansas Highway Patrol troopers — including a K-9 unit — could be seen canvassing grassy areas on both the east and west sides of Auburn Road working south from S.W. 10th as they searched for items that were thrown out of the Jeep during the pursuit.
“We’re trying to figure out what that was and where it could be,” Whelpley said.
The chase wasn’t long in terms of time, Whelpley said, estimating it lasted eight or nine minutes.
Contact Phil Anderson at (785) 295-1195 or follow live reports @Philreports on Twitter. Like him on Facebook at facebook.com/philreports.tcj/
