2 women flee from Kansas police in stolen box truck

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (KSNW) — Two women led law enforcement from four counties on a chase in a stolen box truck on Wednesday.

It began when the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a Penske box truck being stolen from a convenience store at 10th Street and Main Street in Independence.

Deputies caught up to the truck heading east on U.S. Highway 160 near the U.S. Highway 169 Junction.

The driver refused to stop, and the truck exited onto northbound U.S. 169. Cherryvale Officers joined the pursuit and attempted to stop the truck with stop sticks, which the driver avoided. The truck then turned east onto U.S. Highway 400, traveling 15 miles to Parsons in Labette County, where Parsons police tried to deploy stop sticks. However, the Montgomery County Sheriff says the driver made dangerous maneuvers to avoid them.

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Labette County deputies joined the pursuit, which moved onto various county roads and back onto U.S. 400, traveling at least 20 more miles and into Cherokee County. Deputies from Cherokee and Crawford counties joined the pursuit.

Stop sticks were successfully deployed, and the truck stopped in the middle of the road. The driver, a 34-year-old Independence woman and her passenger, a 36-year-old woman from Coffeyville were taken into custody.

Both were taken back to Montgomery County, where the driver was booked into jail on charges of Fleeing or attempting to elude, operating a stolen vehicle, felony theft, failure to stop or yield, Improper driving on a laned roadway, driving while suspended, canceled or revoked. The 36-year-old woman was booked into jail for felony theft.

Formal charges are pending. KSN does not name suspects until charges are filed.

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