HARVEY COUNTY- Two people were injured during a high-speed chase and crash just before 1:30p.m. on Thursday in Harvey County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Lexus RX driven by Gary Beall, 47, Sterling, CO., was being pursued by law enforcement in the left lane northbound on Interstate 135 just north of Arapaho Road.
The driver made an erratic lane change to right shoulder, continued at a high rate of speed and struck a 2013 Chrysler Town car driven by Baker, James C. Baker, 71, Hillsboro, that was yielding to law enforcement on the right shoulder.
The Lexus left the roadway to left, traveled across the median, crossed southbound lanes of traffic, entered the left ditch and struck a KDOT fence and came to rest.
Beall and Baker were transported to the hospital in Newton. In addition to a variety of charges, Beall was also not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
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HESSTON, Kan. – Harvey County authorities were lead on a high speed chase this afternoon which
ended with one patrol car destroyed and a two vehicle accident.
It started around 1 p.m. when Newton officers attempted to stop a vehicle that had reportedly stolen fuel from a gas station. The vehicle fled at speeds exceeding 100 mph. During the chase, officers reported the driver swerved at and intentionally ran officers off the roadway.
The chase ended when the vehicle struck another on I-135, just northwest of Hesston. The driver fled on foot, but was captured by law enforcement a short time later. The driver claims he is a parole absconder from another state and had stolen the vehicle.
The fleeing driver and the driver of the vehicle he collided with were transported to the hospital for evaluation, but are stable at this time.
All officers are safe, but a Hesston patrol car was lost due to a vehicle fire.
The driver faces charges including three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, pending review of potential attempted murder of a law enforcement officer charges by the Harvey County Attorney’s Office.