Saline County deputy hospitalized after being pinned by pickup in Crete

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A man was arrested in Saline County on Tuesday morning after authorities say he hit a deputy with his pickup truck in the Crete Walmart parking lot.

Just after 3:30 a.m., Walmart employees called 911 about a suspicious vehicle that had been circling the parking lot for hours.

The Crete Police Department and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office responded and found a red 2021 Ford F-250 in the parking lot.

The driver, 24-year-old Enrique Jesus Morales, did not comply with the officers, according to authorities.

The sheriff’s office said Morales continued to drive erratically through the parking lot.

Authorities said they were able to pop Morales’ tires, but he continued driving and struck a deputy, pinning him between the Ford and a patrol car.

According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy fired his gun, but nobody was injured.

Morales was eventually arrested, received medical care, and was then lodged in the Saline County Jail.

He was charged on suspicion of second-degree assault on an officer, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, willful reckless driving, obstructing a peace officer, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, DUI, resisting arrest and third-degree assault on an officer.

The deputy was taken to Bryan West with non-life-threatening injuries. The Nebraska State Patrol is assisting with the investigation.