Victoria woman leads police on high-speed chase

By The Hays Daily News

VICTORIA -- A Victoria woman was transported to Larned State Hospital on Tuesday after leading Victoria police on a high-speed chase through the southeast part of Ellis County.

According to Victoria Chief of Police Cole Dinkel, High Plains Mental Health Center asked his department to make a welfare check on the woman Tuesday morning after she left suicidal comments on High Plains' answering machine.

Dinkel said the woman, who is in her early 50s, was located driving into Victoria on Old U.S. Highway 40 at about 9:15 a.m. Tuesday. When an officer tried to initiate a traffic stop, the woman took off and lead police on a 20-minute chase.

Speeds exceeded 100 mph at times as the woman drove Old Highway 40 to Walker Avenue, then turned south to its dead end in the southeast part of the county.

"She went through an alfalfa patch, then got back on Walker Avenue," Dinkel said. "She drove through a dirt field at the dead end and headed back north on Walker Avenue."

The chase continued west on Chetolah Gold Road until Sheriff Ed Harbin laid down stop sticks at the intersection of Pfeifer Avenue.

"She stopped before she ran over the stop sticks," Dinkel said.

The woman was transported, with police accompaniment, to Hays Medical Center for screening by High Plains. Later, she was transported to Larned State Hospital.

Dinkel said he still is discussing possible charges with the county attorney's office.

The Ellis County Sheriff's office and Kansas Highway Patrol assisted with the incident.