Trooper Recovering, Suspect Charged with Assault on an Officer

DECEMBER 12, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)  — A Nebraska State Trooper has begun his recovery after being injured Monday when a suspect rammed his patrol vehicle during a pursuit between Lincoln and Omaha.

The trooper suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. He has undergone successful surgery at Bryan Medical Center West Campus. A long recovery lies ahead, but he is alert and in good spirits this morning.

The suspect, an 18-year-old from La Vista, was not injured in the crash. He refused medical treatment at the scene and was lodged in Lancaster County Jail for assault on an officer, assault on an officer using a motor vehicle, willful reckless driving, and flight to avoid arrest.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after a pursuit, during which the suspect rammed his vehicle into an NSP cruiser and injured a trooper.

At approximately 12:40 p.m. Monday, a trooper observed a Ford Fusion traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour on Interstate 80 in Lincoln, near mile marker 403. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to yield and fled westbound. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

During the pursuit, the driver passed numerous vehicles on the shoulder and continued westbound at speeds above 100 miles per hour. When the vehicle reached the Milford interchange, at mile marker 382, it exited and reentered I-80 traveling eastbound toward Lincoln.

The NSP AirWing took over the pursuit from the air as the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed through the Lincoln area. After passing through Lincoln, patrol units continued their pursuit on the ground. At approximately 1:15 p.m. the suspect rammed a trooper’s patrol vehicle, causing both vehicles to roll near mile marker 422. The trooper’s cruiser came to rest in the median. The suspect’s vehicle crossed the westbound lanes and came to rest in the north ditch.

The suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The trooper has been transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect refused medical treatment at the scene and has been transported to Lancaster County Jail. Charges are pending as the investigation remains ongoing.