High-speed chase into Frontier County; driver, one other man arrested

McCOOK, Neb. — The driver and one other person are in custody following a high-speed chase that stretched from McCook into Frontier County Wednesday afternoon.

Lucas Haag, K-State agronomist at Colby, Kan., told the Gazette that his work truck, a Ford dually, owned by KSU, was stolen from the Northwest Research-Extension Center at Colby after thieves unhooked it from a gooseneck equipment trailer.

He said two McCook men determined that the truck was stolen and provided information to the McCook Police Department.

McCook Police officers were attempting to arrest a man with the stolen truck at Walmart when he drove away, heading north on U.S. Highway 83 at about 4:20 p.m.

Traveling more than 100 miles per hour and driving toward oncoming traffic at times north of Maywood, the truck drove through a pasture and returned to U.S. 83 and headed south. Spike strips were reportedly deployed at some point, and a Nebraska State Patrol trooper was finally able to perform a “tactical vehicle intervention” to stop the vehicle.

The driver refused to exit the vehicle, however, and a ballistic barrier was being brought to the scene from McCook as a precaution, but before it could arrive, about 20 minutes after the stop, he started a fire in the cab of the truck and got out.

“Troopers observed the driver to be suffering from a medical issue and provided medical assistance, including administering Narcan on the scene.”

The driver, Keaneu Depe, 23, of Colby, Kansas, was transported by Frontier Rural Fire and Rescue to the hospital in McCook for medical clearance and then lodged in Red Willow County Jail for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, theft by receiving stolen property, obstructing a peace officer, 3rd-degree arson, and traffic violations. Additional charges are pending.

In addition to the press release issued by the Nebraska State Patrol, through further investigation and assistance from witnesses, the McCook Police Department was able to identify an additional subject involved in this case who was inside Walmart at the time this pursuit was initiated.

Richard Blake, age 35 of Arvada, Colorado was identified as operating the vehicle involved in the pursuit as it entered McCook and parked at Walmart. Blake was taken into custody without incident as he exited Walmart and walked eastbound on U.S. Highway 6. Blake was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia. Blake was transported and lodged in the Red Willow County Jail.

The Frontier and Red Willow County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.