By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
SALINE COUNTY —A pursuit that began in Salina early Wednesday ended with stop spikes in Ellsworth County.
Just after 2a.m., an Audi 7 driven by Kaleb Beaugh, 29, of rural Saline County, was northbound on N. College Avenue when he failed to signal a turn west onto W. Ash Street, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.
An officer followed the car, and once it turned south onto N. Broadway Boulevard, another officer attempted to stop the car, but Beaugh took off west on State Street to Kansas Highway 140, then north on N. Halstead Road, and west on State Street.
The car reached speeds of more than 100 mph on K-140, and the officers terminated their pursuit in the 3900 block of State Street because of the excessive speed, according to Forrester.
A short time later, a deputy spotted the car and attempted to stop it in the 8800 block of W. Crawford Street, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan. The Audi took off again, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 130 mph on K-140.
The Audi was finally stopped when stop spikes were deployed on K-140 inside Ellsworth County. Deputies arrested Beaugh and booked him on requested charges of possession of cocaine, meth and marijuana. He also booked on requested charges of possession of a firearm while under the influence, flee and elude, driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended and driving while a habitual violator.
Beaugh has previous convictions for theft, criminal damage to property, interference with law enforcement, fleeing law enforcement, reckless driving and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He had been out of prison since June of 2019.