Formal charges have been filed after an alleged law enforcement pursuit in and around Emporia from last week.
Dustin Craige, age 26 of Council Grove, faces one count of truck theft between $1,500 and $25,000, as well as two counts of flee and elude and two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement.
Craige is accused of taking a pickup from the 1700 block of Road 120 on Nov. 25. He’s also accused of leading a chase on Interstate 35 from near the Kansas Highway 130 intersection into Emporia, where he was arrested near 23rd and Hillcrest after being pursued by Highway Patrol troopers and Emporia Police officers.
Craige allegedly went into oncoming traffic at least once while on Interstate 35 to avoid stop sticks, and he allegedly nearly missed at least one Emporia Police officer and one trooper during the reported chase according to court documents provided to KVOE News. Troopers tried several so-called tactical vehicle interventions, where a suspect vehicle is bumped in an attempt to get it sideways and later stopped, before finally stopping the allegedly stolen truck in northwest Emporia.
Craige’s preliminary hearing is at 10 am Jan. 20.
Meanwhile, charges are still pending against five juveniles who were allegedly involved in a high-speed chase in the Emporia city limits early Nov. 28. The driver, 17-year-old Alonso Morales, as well as 17-year-old Armando Gonzalez, 16-year-olds Yahir Castillo and Anthony Acuna and 15-year-old Nadia Rosales, were all released to their parents following the alleged incident. Authorities say speeds reached over 100 mph before the suspect vehicle crashed at the roundabouts connecting West Highway 50 to the Kansas Turnpike and Interstate 35.