Teen leads police on two county chase before crashing mini-van

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - A 15-year-old juvenile has been released back to a responsible party, but not before leading authorities on a chase that spanned two counties Thursday morning.

The Merrick County Sheriff’s Office ended up assisting the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office with the chase after the chase originally started in Hamilton County.

After the chase crossed into Merrick County, authorities found the suspect vehicle, which was a 2007 Chrysler Minivan. They continued the chase through rural Merrick County, eventually reaching Prairie Island Road (22nd Road). That’s when the teen entered the ditch and crashed the van. After the crash, the teen got out of the vehicle and ran from police.

They eventually located the teen uninjured around 4:30 a.m., took them into custody and charged them before releasing them to a responsible party.

Several law enforcement agencies assisted with the chase, including the Merrick County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol, and several members of the Central Nebraska Special Response Team.