At about 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon the Stanton County Sheriff’s office was notified of a reckless and speeding vehicle eastbound on Hwy 275 east of Spurville. Shortly after the Sheriff’s office observed the speeding vehicle eastbound on Hwy 275 and clocked it at 118 mph in the 65mph zone. The vehicle then fled east at high speeds while a pursuit was initiated on Hwy 275. The vehicle then turned north onto 574th Avenue at the Pilger spur and continued to flee at high speeds on the gravel road and even passed another northbound car by going around in the ditch. The vehicle continued north until he lost control at the Stanton Wayne County line and crashed into the north ditch. The male driver then fled shirtless wearing blue jeans into tall standing corn and fled on foot. As additional Sheriff units arrived a perimeter was attempted in the vast area of cornfields. It was during this time an approximate six-year-old male exited the cornfield near the crashed vehicle and advised he had been a passenger in the vehicle and was left in the field by the driver who he advised was his father. Fortunately the child was not injured and was medically cleared at the scene by Pilger Rescue. The driver was identified by the Sheriff’s office as Jason Waddell, 46, last known to live in the Sioux City, IA area. An exhaustive search was undertaken in the area using a Stanton County drone that proved fruitless. Several area farms were evacuated as Waddell has an extensive criminal history and may be armed according to a witness that observed the vehicle speeding and believes handgun was presented during road rage in Pierce County about an hour before the pursuit was initiated. Then just after 6 p.m. a 2011 red in color, Chevy Silverado pickup with Nebraska prestige plates PLJARIG was stolen not far from the search area in Wayne County. Waddell is believed to have stolen that pickup and fled the area, possibly towards Sioux City. If anyone has any information on Waddell or sees him or the stolen pickup, they are asked to immediately call 911 or the Stanton County Sheriff’s office at (402) 439-2212. A warrant will be issued for Waddell on numerous charges including several felony charges in Stanton County.
**UPDATE**
At approximately 7:30 p.m. the stolen pickup from Wayne County was observed near the Stanton and Wayne County line on 574th Ave and after it was observed it was parked and the driver (Waddell) then fled on foot into a bean field just north of the Stanton/Wayne County line. At that time, a perimeter was set up by the Wayne and Stanton County Sheriff’s office, Wayne Police Department and additional assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol. After about two hours of looking for the suspect using drones, he was located hiding in the field. An arrest team from the Wayne and Stanton County S.O. and NSP approached him and he refused to cooperate. At that time, Waddell was bitten several times by a police K-9 and taken into custody on multiple felony charges committed in both Stanton and Wayne County. Waddell was transported to FRHS in Norfolk by Pilger Fire and Rescue for treatment of his bite injuries and was then jailed pending the setting of a cash bond in both counties. Stanton County Emergency Management assisted in locating Waddell with a thermal drone. **Bond was set on Waddell at $150,000.00 on charges in both counties
