Cody Thomas
Nebraska State Patrol
NOVEMBER 27, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.) — Two teenagers are in custody following a pursuit with a stolen vehicle in Lincoln Sunday night.
At approximately 9:30 p.m. Sunday, the Lincoln Police Department received a report that a Hyundai Elantra had just been stolen from the area of 17th and South Streets. Approximately 30 minutes later, a trooper located the vehicle as it was traveling westbound on Superior Street.
As the vehicle turned northbound onto 14th Street, the trooper attempted a traffic stop. The driver immediately accelerated and fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit. The vehicle turned into a residential area near 14th and Julesburg Drive and continued to flee. The vehicle drove through the residential neighborhood and eventually returned to 14th Street and began driving southbound in the northbound lanes.
The vehicle then turned eastbound onto Fletcher and increased speed to over 70 miles per hour. As the vehicle approached 27th Street at a high rate of speed, the trooper backed off. The trooper then observed the vehicle run a red light at 27th Street, lose control, and crash into a pole. The entire pursuit lasted approximately three minutes.
The driver, identified as a 13-year-old female, and passenger, identified as a 17-year-old female, were both transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver was then lodged in a youth detention facility for theft by unlawful taking - $5,000+, flight to avoid arrest, and no operator’s license. Once released from the hospital, the passenger will be cited for aiding and abetting.
The Lincoln Police Department is handling the stolen vehicle investigation.