Three individuals were arrested following a high-speed pursuit involving a stolen vehicle in Cheyenne County, Nebraska, early Tuesday morning.
The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) reported that a trooper observed a Chevrolet Silverado speeding eastbound on Interstate 80, four miles east of Sidney, at 12:45 a.m. local time. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver initially slowed down before accelerating to around 100 miles per hour, prompting the trooper to initiate a pursuit.
NSP dispatchers confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen, and the chase continued until the driver exited the interstate at Lodgepole and headed south on county roads. During the pursuit, the passenger of the vehicle, Richard Martinez, 33, threw a coat out of the window. When a trooper stopped to recover the coat, two rifles and two handguns wrapped inside were discovered. The firearms were later confirmed to be stolen.
About 30 minutes into the chase, a trooper attempted a tactical vehicle intervention, but the suspect vehicle turned into a field and flipped over after driving into a ditch. The three occupants were taken into custody without further incident.
All three individuals were transported to Sidney Regional Hospital for treatment.
The driver, 22-year-old Edgar Bear Runner of South Dakota, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of stolen property, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and other charges.
The passenger, 33-year-old Richard Martinez, also of South Dakota, was arrested for tampering with physical evidence and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. Both Bear Runner and Martinez were booked into the Cheyenne County Jail.
The third occupant, 20-year-old Akieita Fast Horse, also from South Dakota, was initially cited for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and released. However, he was later arrested on Tuesday for possession of a stolen firearm.
