The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) located a suspect wanted in connection with a Denver homicide on Sunday morning in Dawson County. A female passenger in the suspect’s vehicle suffered a medical emergency and later died.
Authorities had been alerted that the suspect, considered armed and dangerous, was traveling on Interstate 80 near Gothenburg in a Nissan Rogue. Around 9:25 a.m., a Nebraska state trooper spotted the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled north into Gothenburg.
The pursuit lasted approximately 25 minutes on county roads before officers deployed stop sticks, forcing the vehicle to a stop in a ditch along Highway 30 east of Gothenburg. Both the driver and the passenger refused to exit the vehicle, prompting crisis negotiators to respond.
After multiple attempts to establish contact, troopers observed the female passenger experiencing a medical emergency. Officers quickly approached and removed both individuals, who were unresponsive.
Narcan was administered to both the driver and the passenger. The female passenger was transported to Gothenburg Health Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The driver, identified as 36-year-old Augustine Vega of Colorado Springs, was airlifted to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney and remains hospitalized.
No officers fired their weapons during the incident. Authorities recovered at least one firearm inside the vehicle.
The South Central Area Law Enforcement Services task force is investigating the incident, with assistance from the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Gothenburg Police Department, Cozad Police Department, Gothenburg Volunteer Fire Department, Dawson County Attorney, and LifeNet helicopter.
NSP is coordinating with the Denver Police Department as part of the ongoing homicide investigation.
