Stolen vehicle found abandoned after Lancaster County chase, sheriff’s office says

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a theft and pursuit that ended in a crash Friday morning.

On Thursday night, a 2016 Kia Soul was stolen from southeast Lincoln, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said in a press conference.

Around 1 a.m. Friday, deputies found the Kia speeding near Highway 77 and Roca Road, Houchin said.

The deputy tried to pull the car over, but the vehicle sped off. As the chase neared Roca, Houchin said the deputy backed off for safety reasons.

A second pursuit started back up around 2:30 a.m. when a deputy saw the Kia near Highway 77 and Saltillo Road.

During the chase, the Kia shut its lights off and reached speeds of more than 100 mph, according to Houchin.

The pursuit went cold as deputies reached Highway 33 and Southwest 14th Street.

Houchin said deputies found the Kia in a ditch around 7 a.m. near Southwest 128th and West Stagecoach Road, near Kramer.

Nobody was in the vehicle, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Anybody with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 402-441-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.