Man leads police on pursuit through Madison County reaching speeds of 80 mph
Published at | Updated at
REXBURG — An Idaho Falls man was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after a high speed chase ended in a rollover accident in Madison County.
Rexburg Police, Madison County Sheriff’s deputies and Idaho State Police participated in the pursuit that began around noon in Rexburg before coming to an end in a rural area outside Thornton.
Rexburg Police Capt. Randy Lewis said the police department pulled over Michael Williams in a red pick-up for a minor traffic violation and that’s when the he fled from officers.
Authorities say the man reached speeds of nearly 80 miles an hour and drove in the wrong lane of travel at some points. Several attempts were made to stop the vehicle with spike strips, but the driver avoided the strips and kept driving.
During the chase, officers say they observed the man throwing items out his window. Police located those items, which authorities suspect may contain drug contraband. The contents of the bags have not been confirmed.
The chase ended in a single vehicle accident around 12:50 p.m. at 1800 South when the driver of the truck rolled following repeated attempts by police to deflate his tires.
Lewis confirmed officers found drugs in the vehicle.
The man was taken into custody for felony eluding and transported to the hospital. No officers were injured.