Omaha man arrested following lengthy chase in stolen U-Haul, state patrol says

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — An Omaha man was arrested following a lengthy chase in a stolen U-Haul near Kearney.

Late Tuesday night, the Kearney Police Department was notified that a U-Haul and its attached flatbed trailer, hauling a car, had been stolen from a hotel in Kearney.

Officers quickly found the U-Haul and tried to pull the truck over, but the driver refused to stop. Buffalo County deputies and Nebraska State Troopers responded to assist in the chase.

The state patrol said the U-Haul left Kearney and eventually got onto Interstate 80 at the Odessa interchange.

As the U-Haul passed the Kearney exit, troopers set up stop sticks to slow the truck.

The state patrol said the U-Haul slowed to 15 mph, emitting sparks, and at times, starting small fires in the median of I-80. The Kearney Volunteer Fire Department was called to extinguish those.

Just after the Highway 10 exit, the car trailer detached from the U-Haul and came to a stop in the middle of I-80. After that, the U-Haul eventually stopped 3 miles down the road.

The driver, 40-year-old Jeffrey Ritchison, was taken into custody without further incident around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Ritchison was arrested on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, driving under suspension, and numerous traffic violations.

KPD said it has additional charges of flight to avoid arrest and robbery. He was lodged in the Buffalo County Jail.