Three people are behind bars after a high speed chase Tuesday afternoon that started in Lancaster County. The sheriff’s department says members of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Unit stopped a silver Chrysler van for several traffic violations on eastbound I-80 near the weigh station.
LSO says during the stop probable cause was developed to search the van. “A deputy and LPD officer had the front seat passenger exit the van,” says Chief Deputy Ben Houchin. “After he did, he soon began to resist the deputy and officer and he began re-entering the van.”
Houchin says during the struggle a taser was deployed, but he was able to hop into the driver’s seat and speed away in the van. Deputies pursued the van until the Platte River bridge where they were losing radio transmission and the pursuit was terminated.
Troopers from the Nebraska State Patrol picked up the pursuit, with speeds reaching 100 miles per hour. The van exited at Highway 370 and came to a stop near the Omaha National Cemetery. All three occupants fled on foot into a wooded area. Additional troopers, as well as officers and deputies from the Papillion Police Department, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and Omaha Police Department responded to assist.
The suspects were eventually arrested and taken back to Lancaster County. Houchin says the passenger who became the driver during the pursuit is 40-year-old Joseph Pate. He was booked for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, evading drug stamp, fleeing to avoid arrest, resisting arrest, tampering with physical evidence and driving under suspicion.
The original driver who was detained at the scene, 38-year-old Mattie Boyd, was arrested and booked for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and evading a drug stamp. The two rear passengers, 21-year-old Hayley Kabel and 19-year-old Trey Franko were booked on the same charges.
All of the suspects are from Illinois. During the pursuit, Houchin says deputies saw several bags of blue pills being thrown from the van. Through the investigation, Houchin says the pills appear to be fentanyl.