Update: 10/11/12
According to Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman, the victim of the collision idetified to be Ruben Maravilla-Cortes. Maravilla-Cortes was 68-years-old and from Lexington.
A six-minute chase led to a fiery collision that took the life of an unsuspecting motorist Monday, October 8th.
Minutes before midnight at 6th and Grant Streets in Lexington, a trooper from the Nebraska State Patrol attempted to stop a 2004 Dodge Ram pickup for reckless driving and a traffic violation. The alleged vehicle operator,
, 22, of Coats, Kansas, was accompanied by a 17-year-old male juvenile from Lexington according to the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office. Swartz failed to stop as he continued southbound on Highway 283 which resulted in pursuit.
The pickup reached a Lexington overpass continuing on Highway 283. At the intersection of Highway 283 and Cattlemen Drive, the pickup in pursuit ran a red light causing a deadly collision with a 1995 Ford F150 crossing the intersection.
The news release form the NSP says:
“The impact of the collision caused the Ford pickup to burst into flames. The driver of the Ford pickup was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
The name of the driver killed has not been released pending identification and notification of family.”
Both the passenger and Swartz were uninjured from the collision.
The alleged vehicle operator was arrested and is housed in the Dawson County Jail on charges to include, 2nd offense driving under the influence, felony motor vehicle homicide, felony operation of a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, and willful reckless driving.
The Lexington Police Department and the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the South Central Allied Law Enforcement System (SCALES) are investigating the crash.
Collision Location
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