A routine traffic stop near 30th Street and Ames Avenue turned into a citywide chase on wheels and in the air Monday evening, after a driver sped off and tore through at least two yards before Omaha police cornered him outside a hotel miles away. No one was hurt, but the SUV left a trail of damaged lawns from north Omaha to the city's western edge.
According to WOWT, the incident began as a traffic stop near 30th and Ames around 5:30 p.m. Monday. When the driver took off, officers made the call not to chase him directly through city streets. Instead, they turned to the skies, with OPD's Able-1 helicopter picking up the SUV and following it as it drove recklessly through Omaha.
That aerial tracking let officers keep tabs on the vehicle without engaging in a ground pursuit, according to KETV, which reported that police saw the SUV driving recklessly near 30th and Ames before the driver fled the attempted stop. The outlet's reporting on the incident credited the helicopter crew with monitoring the SUV from above as it wound through the city.
SUV Tears Through Yards Near 84th and Cass
The chase took a destructive turn miles from where it started. The suspect drove through at least two yards in the area of 84th and Cass, the station's report states, leaving property damage behind as the driver pressed on rather than stopping.
From there, the SUV kept moving west across the city before the pursuit finally came to an end. The driver was eventually stopped in the parking lot of a hotel near 108th Avenue and Harney Street, per the same account — identified elsewhere as the Mainstay Suites along South 108th Avenue, where officers took him into custody.
Felony Flight and Destruction of Property Charges
Accounts of the driver's exact charging status differ slightly between outlets. WOWT reported the driver was booked for felony flight to avoid arrest and destruction to property, with further charges pending. KETV's reporting, meanwhile, described the driver as expected to face those same charges — felony flight and destruction of property, at minimum — with police still determining what other charges may apply.
Nebraska's legal framework around fleeing a stop centers on using a vehicle to avoid arrest for conduct that amounts to a felony, which the state classifies as felony operation of a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, according to an excerpt from the Nebraska Legislature. Separately, legislative text cited by the Nebraska Legislature defines criminal mischief as intentionally or recklessly damaging another person's property — language that tracks with the destruction-of-property allegation police have cited, though the excerpts don't confirm which specific statute applies to this case.
No injuries were reported from the incident, and the driver's identity has not been released. It remains unclear exactly how many charges the driver will ultimately face, as police continue determining what additional counts may apply.
