SALINE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Central Kansas are investigating a suspect follow a high-speed chase on Wednesday across 3 counties.

Just before noon, the chase began in the 1500 block of N. Hedville Road when a concerned citizen contacted authorities after seeing a suspicious vehicle at the Singh Travel Plaza, 2124 N. Hedville Road, according to Saline County Sheriff’s Captain Brent Melander

Prior to the arrival of Saline County deputies, the vehicle left the travel plaza and traveled north on Hedville Road, before backing into a driveway on an abandoned property.

Deputies were able to make contact with the driver of a 1995 Honda Accord, Michael Thomas 24, of Loveland, Co., and an 18-year-old female passenger of Fort Collins, Co.

Melander said Thomas told deputies that he had no driver’s license or identification.

As the deputy was returning to his vehicle with what information he had, the vehicle sped off on Hedville Road and onto Interstate 70.

The vehicle, with an expired Colorado temporary tag, then exited south onto Interstate 135 at a high rate of speed, swerved into the median to avoid stop sticks and into the northbound lanes, where it continued the wrong way on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle then exited the onto Water Well Road on the northbound on-ramp and continued eastbound.

The chase went east on Water Well Road and south onto Ohio to K-4 Highway into Gypsum and then onto Gypsum Valley Road into Roxbury and east into Marion County, where Saline County called off the pursuit.

Marion County deputies then picked up the chase and were able to successfully spike the vehicle’s tires, which started a small fire, according to Melander.

The vehicle stopped moments later and the two occupants were finally taken into custody and returned to Saline County.

Thomas told authorities he was trying to get Oklahoma to see his mother before facing prison time in Colorado, where he has two outstanding felony arrest warrants from Fort Collins.

He was booked into the Saline County Jail on numerous requested charges including felony flee and elude, interference with obstructing felony warrants, criminal trespassing, reckless driving, possession of a stimulant, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, vehicle registrations violations, improperly crossing over a divided highway and driving while suspended.

The female passenger was not booked into jail and was released.