LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) – A judge has ruled that a man accused of leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase in six counties lacks jurisdiction to stand trial.
Casey Martinson, 56, of Sanborn, North Dakota, is charged in Lancaster County Court with assault on an officer using a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an injury accident and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest.
Last week, a Lancaster County judge found Martinson incompetent after a court-ordered mental health evaluation. However, the judge’s ruling allowed Martinson to appear in court at a later date and scheduled a competency hearing for May 24 for another hearing. Meanwhile, Martinson will be transported to Lincoln Regional Center for further mental health evaluation and treatment.
In a press release, the Nebraska State Patrol said a trooper stopped Martinson in a semi near Waverly on Dec. 15 after he was found to be driving recklessly. The patrol alleges Martinson then backed his flatbed trailer into the trooper’s cruiser, causing the trooper’s head injury. He then fled the scene heading west on Interstate 80 and was captured 2 1/2 hours later about 20 miles west of Kearny.
The injured soldier was treated at Lincoln Hospital for minor injuries. Martinson was treated at CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearny, but was later transported to the Lancaster County Jail, where he is being held on $500,000 bond.
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