High-speed chase goes through town Tuesday

Havre Daily News staff

A pair led officers on a high-speed chase through Havre Wednesday morning, ending with officers arresting people in the house where one of the eluders ended up.

Havre Assistant Chief of Police Jason Barkus said an officer attempted to pull over a 1990s Chevrolet pickup truck containing Seqoia Demontiney, 19, and Darrell Gardipee III, 18, on the 1300 Block of Second Street on suspicion of displaying fictitious license plates and for having illegal blue LED lights on the front.

“They took off on him, failed to yield,” Barkus said.

The driver led the pursuit down Second Street at speeds up to 60 mph, then eventually up to the 1100 Block of 17th Street West, where the pickup struck a fence and came to a stop.

Barkus said no one was injured, but there were “a couple of near misses. They endangered some people.”

Barkus said Demontiney was arrested there but Gardipee escaped.

Officers identified Gardipee and obtained a search warrant for a Smithville residence where they found him under the trailer.

Demontiney was being held this morning in the Hill County Detention Center on $1,875 bond on charges of failure to appear, failure to pay, failure to comply and obstructing justice.

Gardipee was in the center on $51,455 bond on pending charges of two counts of criminal endangerment, driving under the influence, reckless driving, fleeing from or eluding law enforcement officers, stop sign violation, displaying fictitious plates, driving with no insurance, driving with a suspended driver’s license, obstructing justice and criminal mischief.

An adult, Rikki Horn, and two juveniles in the trailer under which Demontiney was hiding also were arrested. Full details are listed in today’s For the Record on Page A5.