SALINA — A Salina man wanted on active warrants out of Saline and Kiowa counties led law enforcement personnel on a chase Wednesday from Salina into Ottawa County before turning around and finally stopping near where the chase began.
Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said Thursday that at 10:52 a.m. Wednesday, a deputy was at the Red Carpet Inn, 222 E. Diamond Drive, to serve a warrant when he observed Lance Smith, 33, of Salina. Knowing that Smith had an active warrant from Saline County District Court for failure to appear, the deputy attempted to apprehend Smith, however, Smith took off in a 2010 Ford F150, Soldan said.
Smith then led the deputy and other law enforcement personnel on a chase along the following route, Soldan said.
- West on Diamond Drive, where he ran the stop sign at Ninth Street
- North on Ninth Street and continuing north when Ninth Street turns into Old 81 Highway, sometimes at speeds up to 100 mph
- East on Kansas Highway 18
- North through Bennington and continuing north
- West on Kansas Highway 106
- Back south on Old 81 Highway toward Salina
Soldan said Salina Police personnel set up spikes near the Saline River bridge, which took out the pickup’s tires. Smith continued south, finally coming to a stop in the middle turn lane of the 2400 block of North Ninth Street, which is just north of the Interstate 70 interchange, Soldan said.
After coming to a stop, Smith jumped out of the pickup and ran a short distance into a ditch, where he tripped and was apprehended, Soldan said.
In addition to the Saline County warrant and the warrant out of Kiowa County for probation violation, Soldan said Smith was arrested on suspicion of the following.
- Speeding
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Obstruction
- Flee and elude