Troopers arrest drunk, revoked driver following pursuit in Lincoln

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) arrested a drunk driver following a pursuit on Interstate 80 that covered nearly 20 miles in eastern Nebraska Thursday afternoon.

NSP said at about 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, dispatchers received a report of a reckless driver traveling eastbound on I-80 in Seward County. Troopers spotted the vehicle at mile marker 381, near the Milford interchange, going 93 mph in a 75 mph zone.

Troopers attempted a traffic stop, but the black Ford Fusion fled.

NSP says troopers initiated a pursuit, with speeds reaching as high as 120 mph as the suspect headed toward Lincoln. Speeds decreased as the suspect reached the city limits of Lincoln.

At mile marker 398, a trooper was able to successfully perform a tactical vehicle intervention to bring the pursuit to an end.

The suspect, Scott Underwood, 42, of Lincoln, was taken into custody. The pursuit lasted about 15 minutes, according to NSP.

After troopers detected the odor of alcohol on Underwood’s breath, they found an open container of alcohol in the vehicle, and discovered that Underwood’s driver’s license was currently revoked.

Underwood was arrested for driving under the influence, refusing to submit to a blood-alcohol content test, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of an open container, driving during revocation, and other traffic violations. He was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.