Ames police officers were led on an 80-mile high-speed chase Tuesday that ran through four counties and reached speeds above 100 mph.

An unidentified 16-year-old male from Toledo was driving a stolen sports-utility vehicle when he was spotted running a red light. The boy was crossing Grand Avenue while traveling westbound on Lincoln Way.

“The police officers in pursuit discovered that the vehicle was stolen at the time the chase ended,” said Sgt. Randy Kessel, public affairs officer for the Ames Police Department. “They had information at the completion of the chase that it was stolen from the Bevens auto dealership in Belle Plaine,” he said. The youth was chased through Boone, Greene and Carroll counties before being stopped near Westside by a Carroll police officer. The officer strung spikes across the highway to let the air out of the car’s tires, Kessel said.

“[Stringing spikes] is the safest way to stop a high-speed chase. It is a very common and standard procedure,” he said.

Kessel said the chase did not lead to any injuries or car accidents, and no other techniques were used prior to the spikes.

“There was no physical contact with our vehicle or the suspect vehicle. Other than some flat tires, there was no damage to the suspect’s car, with the exception of a lot of mud,” Kessel said.

Kessel said the vehicle finally stopped in a construction area when its tires went flat. Besides Ames and Carroll police, officers from Carroll, Boone, Greene and Crawford counties were involved in the chase. The youth was charged with 14 traffic citations, including eluding police, which is a serious misdemeanor, and theft, which is a felony charge. Officers said additional charges could be filed in other jurisdictions.

“His case will be kicked over to juvenile authorities. I don’t know if he has any prior [record] that will influence the sentencing of this event,” Kessel said.

“I just thank God that nobody got hurt. It’s always a success when nobody is hurt in these things,” Kessel said.