The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is searching for the driver of a black, four-door Jeep Wrangler who authorities say ran over a 14-year-old boy and fled the scene after chasing a group of children riding e-bikes through a west Omaha neighborhood on Thursday evening.
Investigators believe three children, ages 10, 12 and 14, were riding electric dirt bikes illegally on a side road near 205th and Harrison streets when the driver of the Jeep honked at them. Rather than the encounter ending there, deputies say the driver began chasing the children up Roosevelt Street toward a nearby field.
Child hit while trying to escape
The children jumped a curb in an apparent attempt to get away from the vehicle, but the driver followed them off the road. One of the children fell off his bike during the chase and was run over by the Jeep. The driver continued pursuing another child briefly before leaving the area without stopping, according to the sheriff’s office.
The 14-year-old who was struck was taken to a hospital with a leg injury described as non-life-threatening. The other two children involved were not physically harmed, though authorities say the entire group was left shaken by the encounter.
Felony charges likely once driver is identified
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the driver is likely to face felony charges once identified and located, given that the case involves a hit-and-run and what deputies are characterizing as a road rage incident directed at children. As of Friday, neither the vehicle nor the driver had been found.
The incident comes amid a broader rise in e-bike and dirt bike related calls in the Omaha area this year, with local officials warning that the young age of many riders combined with inconsistent traffic enforcement has created new hazards on residential streets. Deputies stressed, however, that Thursday’s chase and collision go well beyond an ordinary traffic dispute.
Anyone with information about the Jeep or its driver has been asked to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
