A man was transported to a trauma center in critical condition after a high-speed pursuit ended in a fiery crash near New Century AirCenter early Thursday, Oct. 22, according to the Johnson County Post, citing sheriff’s officials and emergency radio traffic.
The incident began around midnight when a deputy saw a vehicle run a red light at U.S. 169, nearly hitting oncoming traffic while heading west on 159th Street, Sheriff's Office spokesperson Kristen Boxman told the Johnson County Post. The vehicle had no headlights on and was traveling at high speeds, Boxman said.
The deputy caught up with the vehicle near Interstate 35 on westbound 159th Street and tried to pull it over for driving without headlights, speeding, the red-light violation and failing to yield for law enforcement, according to Boxman.
The driver did not stop.
"The vehicle did not stop, continued westbound on 159th, and reached speeds of more than 100mph," Boxman said.
The chase ended about 3 miles west of I-35, where 159th Street makes a sweeping 90-degree curve to the north and becomes North Loop Road. Concrete barricades sit just outside the curve to keep vehicles from continuing straight onto airport property. The fleeing driver crashed into the barricade at 159th Street and North Loop Road, on the northeast corner of the New Century AirCenter, and was ejected from the vehicle, Boxman said.
Olathe Fire and Johnson County Med-Act were dispatched to the scene at 12:02 a.m. Recorded radio traffic from arriving firefighters described an SUV engulfed in flames and one person on the ground, the Post reported.
Two Olathe firefighters assisted Johnson County Med-Act paramedics in transporting the adult driver to an area trauma center in critical condition.
Officers from Olathe and Gardner helped with traffic control near the crash scene. A sheriff's office sergeant confirmed to the Post that the sheriff's office would be investigating the crash.
No update on the driver's condition was available as of late Thursday morning, Oct. 22.
