Two Nebraska men were apprehended early this (Friday) morning after they wrecked their vehicle near Crescent, Iowa after allegedly robbing a motel in northern Cass County. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports that at 11:40-pm Thursday, the America’s Best Value Inn located at intersection of Interstate 80 and U-S Highway 71 was robbed by a lone black male who displayed a firearm and demanded money. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of money. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Atlantic Police Department responded to the scene.

Based upon information from the initial investigation, the Cass County 911 Center was able to alert area law enforcement officers in southwest Iowa of the description of the vehicle and suspects. At approximately 12:05-am, an Iowa State Patrol trooper located the suspect vehicle near the Minden exit on Interstate 80 and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle fled, continuing west onto Interstate 680 at speeds near 130mph. The suspect vehicle then proceeded south on Interstate 29.

A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy was able to successfully deploy stop-sticks at the 62 mile marker of Interstate 29, partially disabling the vehicle. The suspects then attempted to enter Nebraska but failed to negotiate the Interstate 29 and 680 interchange and driver lost control and the suspect vehicle rolled several times in the median. The two occupants of the vehicle required extrication from the vehicle and were transported to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries.  Troopers said the passenger was partially ejected from the vehicle and suffered critical injuries.  The driver is expected to be OK. Charges are currently pending on the two occupants of the vehicle, who are from Omaha. The driver of the vehicle had several felony warrants out for his arrest.

The same suspects were allegedly involved in an incident which occurred in Stuart, prior to the Cass County robbery. Information on the incident in Adair County is currently not available.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in its investigation, by the Atlantic Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Police Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri Valley Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Omaha Police Department Gang Unit, Omaha Police Helicopter Able One, Council Bluffs Fire Department and the Crescent Fire Department.