Body found in vehicle after pursuit ends in crash near Lincoln, patrol says

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A body was found in a vehicle early Wednesday morning after a pursuit ended in a crash west of Lincoln, the Nebraska State Patrol says.

Around 1:30 a.m., troopers learned that a vehicle was traveling in eastern Nebraska.

At a press conference, Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bryan Waugh said that vehicle was believed to be connected to an endangered missing persons case in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

About 25 minutes after receiving the initial call, a trooper saw the vehicle passing through Interstate 80 in Lincoln.  They noticed the missing person was not driving the vehicle and tried pulling it over.

But the driver, 23-year-old Gavin Thompson of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, didn’t stop, Waugh said.

Instead, he got into the eastbound lanes on I-80 and continued heading west toward Seward.

The trooper pursued the vehicle in the westbound lanes, according to Waugh.

Thompson eventually entered a construction zone on I-80.  That’s when he crashed into a median and the vehicle came to a stop in a creek, Waugh said.

By the time authorities reached the vehicle, Thompson had already run away.

But inside the vehicle, troopers found a woman’s body.  At this time, it’s unknown if that body is in any way related to the missing persons case.

Waugh said it was clear the woman had died before the crash.

Several local law enforcement agencies, including the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the Lincoln Police Department, were then called in to search for Thompson.

I-80 between Milford and Lincoln was completely shut down for several hours as the search was ongoing.

Just after 6 a.m., deputies found Thompson walking about 4 miles west of where the crash happened.

He was then taken into custody and booked at the Lancaster County Jail.

Thompson was a suspect in the Dodgeville Police Department’s missing persons investigation, Waugh said.

The Nebraska State Patrol is working with authorities in Dodgeville as the investigation is in its early stages.

Thompson is facing charges in Nebraska of flight to avoid arrest and willful reckless driving.  Waugh said he could end up facing additional charges.

This is a developing story. Check with Channel 8 for the latest.