Panhandle man arrested after leading police on a pursuit, crashing into a ditch
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - A Gering man faces multiple charges, including felony flight, after leading police on a pursuit that ended in a highway ditch Saturday night.
Harley Kingma, 37, was booked into the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center following the incident, which began around 9:32 p.m. Saturday. Scottsbluff police officers initially responded to a report of a suspicious, allegedly intoxicated man trespassing in the 3200 block of Fifth Avenue.
When officers located Kingma’s vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, he fled. Police chose not to initiate a pursuit at the time, citing heavy traffic and public safety concerns.
About an hour later, Gering police officers spotted the vehicle and began a pursuit that crossed back into Scottsbluff, where local police took over primary responsibility for the chase. Officers successfully deployed spike strips, puncturing one of the vehicle’s tires, but Kingma continued to flee until his vehicle became stuck in a ditch near the Maverik gas station on U.S. Highway 26.
Kingma then fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by Scottsbluff and Gering officers after a brief chase.
Kingma faces charges of felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, obstruction, resisting arrest and several traffic-related offenses.
The Scottsbluff Police Department was assisted by the Gering Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office
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