North Platte, Neb. — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), with assistance from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Hayes County Sheriff’s Office, and Frontier County Sheriff’s Office, have arrested a man following a hit and run crash involving a pedestrian Tuesday evening.
At approximately 8:05 p.m. Tuesday, NSP received a report of a car-pedestrian crash near Red Willow Reservoir on Highway 83. Upon arrival at the scene, the female victim reported that she had been engaged in a road rage incident that had lasted for several miles.
The victim stated that both vehicles had stopped near the reservoir and she had exited her vehicle to confront the other driver. As another vehicle arrived, which was driven by the boyfriend of the victim, the suspect vehicle, a Ford F-150, accelerated, struck the woman, and drove away. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and her boyfriend followed the F-150 as it fled the scene, but eventually lost sight of the vehicle.
Law enforcement officers from several agencies searched the area for the vehicle, which was located at approximately 9:30 p.m. not far from the location of the initial incident. The driver, 50 year old Dewaine Nichols of North Platte, was contacted and taken into custody without incident.
Nichols was medically cleared and lodged in Frontier County Jail for assault and attempted motor vehicle homicide, as well as an active warrant from Lincoln County.
