Topeka teen arrested after high-speed chase in a stolen truck through Lawrence

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured June 28, 2022.

A 17-year-old boy from Topeka was arrested early Friday morning after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase in west Lawrence.

Officers made contact with a Ford F-150 that had been reported stolen around 3 a.m. near Sixth Street and Congressional Drive, according to a post from the Lawrence Police Department on social media. When the officers tried to stop the vehicle, the driver fled north on Folks Road, then onto county roads before returning down Folks Road to Sixth Street.

The driver then went south on Sixth Street, reaching speeds over 100 mph; in response, officers discontinued the chase, according to the post. Douglas County sheriff’s deputies later found the stolen truck parked near the intersection of East 700 and North 1750 roads, but the suspect was not in the vehicle.

Just before 6 a.m. a resident in the area called police to report that a young man was on his property, and deputies were able to locate and arrest a 17-year-old from Topeka believed to be responsible for the chase. The boy was arrested on multiple charges and taken to a juvenile detention center, according to the post.