BEATRICE - Blue Springs Firefighters and a Beatrice Fire and Rescue medical unit were sent to a location, about three miles south of Virginia, Sunday night, following a Beatrice Police pursuit that ended with two vehicles being totaled by fire.

The call for mutual aid came at 6:53 p.m., sending personnel to the location, about a quarter-mile south of the intersection of South 162nd and East Linden Road.
A Beatrice Police 2016 patrol unit and an older silver car being pursued, were destroyed by flames. Lieutenant Jay Murphy says the incident began when an officer tried to stop a vehicle in the thirteen hundred block of Court Street, knowing the owner of the vehicle had a suspended license.

The vehicle accelerated away eastbound on U.S. Highway 136, reaching speeds as high as 110 miles per hour. Murphy said "Near the intersection of Locust and 190th, the officer identified the driver and realized he was not the owner of the vehicle. It looks like the vehicle went into a grass field near the intersection of South 162nd and Linden, at which point the vehicle stopped and officers got the suspect out of the vehicle".

While contacting the suspect, the officer noticed grass underneath the patrol car was on fire.
"They tried to get it put out with a fire extinguisher, which they couldn't. They got everyone away and waited for the fire department, and by that time, it pretty much burned up the patrol vehicle".

Murphy said because there was ammunition inside the patrol car, everyone stayed clear of the vehicle until firefighters arrived. The loss from the police car and equipment inside was estimated at around $50,000 to $60,000.
The other vehicle, an older silver car owned by someone other than the suspect, also caught fire when grass under that vehicle ignited. The loss was estimated at $750. During the pursuit, the suspect was traveling about 80-miles-per-hour on gravel, and up to 110-miles per hour on pavement, running through stop signs at a high rate of speed.

Police Car and Suspect Vehicle Burned

There were no injuries. The suspect arrested is identified as 24-year-old Drew Hausman, of Beatrice. He was arrested on suspicion of felony flight to avoid arrest, felony criminal mischief, driving on a suspended license and willful reckless driving.

Blue Springs Firefighters Dousing Cars

(Photos: Beatrice Police)