A Wahoo teenager faces several charges following a high-speed chase Thursday night.
At about 11 p.m., Saunders County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call at Yutan High School. While enroute to that call, a white older model sedan was observed westbound on Highway 92 at approximately County Road 14 driving 126 miles-per-hour with red/blue lights illuminating in the front window.
A Saunders County deputy then proceeded to attempt to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle which continued to flee westbound on Highway 92 and then southbound on Highway 77. The pursuit continued south all the way to North 56th Street/Cornhusker Highway where the suspect turned eastbound on Cornhusker. Speeds during the pursuit exceeded 130 mph at times.
Near 98th Street and Cornhusker Highway, the Saunders County deputy was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision with another vehicle that pulled out in front of him, crossed the median, and ended up in the ditch on the westbound lane side of Cornhusker. A Lancaster County deputy was able to successfully deploy spike strips near that location on the suspect vehicle.
Ashland Police Department observed the suspect still eastbound on Highway 6 near 238th street and activated their lights when the suspect pulled into a business parking lot. He was taken into custody without incident with the assistance of Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Isaac Cote, 19, who was driving a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria. Cote was transported to Saunders County Corrections and was charged with numerous offenses including flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, speeding, displaying red/blue flashing lights, driving left of center, disobeying traffic control device, tampering with evidence, and unlawful passing, among other infractions. His bond has been set at 10 percent of $100,000.
The Saunders County deputy that was involved in the collision signed off/refused treatment at the scene.
The Saunders County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Nebraska State Patrol, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Ashland Police Department, and Waverly Fire and Rescue for their assistance with this incident.
The original call at Yutan High School is unrelated to the pursuit and is being investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Saunders County Sheriff’s Office.
