Driver eludes double the cops at double the speed
Staff writer
An adage that a speeder may be able to outrun a police officer but can’t outrun his radio proved a bit less accurate last week.
A black sedan, possibly a Nissan Ultima, blew by both game warden Evan Deneke and sheriff’s deputy Joshua Meliza at 109 mph — 64 mph over the speed limit — at 7:12 p.m. Sept. 1.
The two officers, one alerting the other by radio, engaged in a six-mile-long chase northbound along the narrow blacktop of Kanza Rd. on the west side of Marion Reservoir to 290th Rd., unable to tell whether the car turned west toward Durham or east toward Lincolnville.
It unfolded like this in radio transmissions:
Deneke: “122, you got one coming at you pretty hot.”
Meliza: “10-4. 109 in a 55! 122, Marion. I’ll be 10-44 northbound Kanza from 230th trying to catch us one.”
Deneke: “122, you gonna get caught up to that?”
Meliza: “I don’t know. I just passed 270th. I’ve lost sight of him at this point. They’re hammering hard.”
Deneke: “10-4. I’m trailing you. I haven’t seen any dust or anyone going up any other roads, so I think he’s still in front of you.”
Meliza: “That’s what I was thinking, too. So what do you think: He went east or west on 290th?”
Deneke: “I have no idea.”
Meliza: “Yeah, I’ll terminate at this point. 122, Marion. I had a black, four-door sedan meet me on Kanza at 230th. It ran. I was unable to keep up. I’m uncertain of direction of travel. We made it all the way up to 290th. I’m unsure if he went east or west on 290th. He did not go north from 290th.”
Deneke: “Yeah, it was either a Nissan or a Buick. I couldn’t tell. Code 1 (male) driver. I couldn’t tell.”
Meliza: “Did it have a front license plate on it? I can’t quite remember.”
Deneke: “I didn’t see. I met it at the top of the hill and I didn’t see it very long. I knew it was bookin’ it.”