Three injured, including bystander, in police chase and crash in Johnson County
Three people, including a bystander, an Olathe police officer and a motorist who allegedly fled a traffic stop, were sent to the hospital with minor injuries on Wednesday afternoon after a police pursuit through Johnson County that involved multiple crashes.
The police chase began in the 14400 block of West 135th Street after patrol officers attempted to stop a vehicle that had been reported stolen, Sgt. Joel Yeldell, an Olathe department spokesman, said in a statement.
The driver of that vehicle allegedly fled from police and struck the Olathe officer in the process, Yeldell said.
The pursuit then continued through Johnson County on Wednesday afternoon as other area agencies, including Overland Park and Lenexa police, assisted with the apprehension of the driver.
In Lenexa, Master Police Officer Danny Chavez said in a statement that officers were advised of an ongoing pursuit through Olathe and then Overland Park around 3:25 p.m. Shortly after, Chavez said, Lenexa officers joined the pursuit on 87th Street and police officers saw the driver crash into another vehicle while continuing to flee.
Around 3:43 p.m., a Lenexa officer decided to use a PIT maneuver, a police technique of striking the rear wheel of a fleeing vehicle to disable it, because of “the suspect’s previous and ongoing dangerous actions,” Chavez said.
The pursuit then ended with a crash where the vehicles of three other motorists were struck near 87th Street and Allman Road, Chavez said. One of those bystanders was taken by ambulance to the hospital with injuries described by police as minor.
The suspect was also taken into custody and transported to the hospital for possible minor injuries, Chavez said.
Meanwhile, Olathe police were investigating the matter as a case of aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer. Johnson County prosecutors had yet to announce any criminal charges against the driver as of Wednesday evening.
Police were asking anyone with information regarding their investigation to contact the Olathe Police Department at 913-971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
This story was originally published November 30, 2022 at 5:44 PM.
