An Ellinwood man was able to temporarily elude law enforcement officers after a motorcycle pursuit Wednesday evening in Barton County. At one point in the pursuit, suspect Nicholas Curtice, 29, laid the Honda motorcycle over and a female passenger rolled away from it, but refused medical treatment and was released at the scene.
The motorcycle was later recovered in a field, but Curtice fled on foot and was not captured until the following morning.
According to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, the pursuit began at 5:44 p.m. when an officer attempted to stop the motorcycle at SE 60 Ave. and East Barton County Road. Curtice was allegedly speeding, and was recognized as someone with an active warrant through Barton County District Court.
Curtice drove toward Great Bend on East Barton County Road “at a high rate of speed.” The motorcycle was laid over at Kiowa Road and U.S. 56, and the female, whose name was not released, was assisted by Great Bend police officers as Curtice got back on the motorcycle and drove through the southeast area of Great Bend, going off-road several times.
He eventually drove south on U.S. 281, taking the motorcycle off-road again about five miles south of Great Bend.
Officers caught up with him at SE 60 Road and SE 20 Ave., where he turned east. He later went into another field and officers lost sight of him again.
Kansas Highway Patrol air support arrived and Curtice was next seen at SE 30 Road and 70 Ave. He fled into several fields before stopping in the 300 block of SE 70 Ave. in a wooded area.
The BCSO received a tip at approximately 9:20 a.m. Thursday that a man matching Curtice’s description had been seen in the farm yard at 896 SE 20 Ave.
Deputies went to the area and Curtice ran again, into a tree row about a quarter-mile north of the residence. A perimeter was set up as units responded from the BCSO, Kansas Highway Patrol, Ellinwood Police Department and EMS, Hoisington Police Department and Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office. KHP aircraft and K-9 units were also called in.
Curtice was booked into the Barton County Jail on charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, and the original warrant for failure to appear. Additional charges are pending.