Havre high-speed chase ends in Liberty County

A high-speed chase that started in Havre Thursday afternoon and involved five law enforcement agencies ended in a field south of Chester.

Havre Police Capt. Aaron Wittmer said the driver of the vehicle, Franklin James Buck III of Valier, 51, faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges including driving under the influence of drugs, criminal endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident.

Wittmer said the chase started about 1:13 p.m. Thursday on the 600 Block of Fifth Street and went “everywhere” incluiding Highland Park, Glo-Ed and south of town.

Early in the chase someone jumped out of the vehicle and was detained but was not charged.

Wittmer said officers put up spike strips to deflate the tires of the vehicle in several locations but Buck was able to evade them.

He then left Havre and drove west on U.S. Highway 2, Wittmer said, adding that law enforcement again put up spike strips, near Hingham and Chester, but Buck eluded those as well.

Buck then drove south of Chester and eventually stopped in a agricultural field north of Tiber Reservoir and was apprehended about 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

Wittmer said Buck complained about a shoulder injury, which happened prior to the pursuit, and was taken to Northern Montana Hospital, evaluated and later released.

He said the only damage to property occurred when Buck lost control on 13th Street — Hospital Hill — and hit the door of a Havre police patrol vehicle, damaging both vehicles.

He said Hill County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol and Liberty County Sheriff’s Office all were involved in the pursuit, and the Toole County Sheriff’s Office was in the process of responding when Buck turned south from Chester.

He said another issue during the pursuit, which is becoming more and more common, was people getting involved in the pursuit, trying to get close to watch and to record the chase.

Wittmer added that charges could be flied against people identified as trying to participate in the chase.

He said with several high-speed pursuits in the past few years, the public seems to be trying to become more engaged in the pursuit.

“These are really dangerous situations for the police and the public and the offenders,” Wittmer said.

When people see a pursuit is going on, they need to pull their cars over — not try to follow or participate in the chase — and people in their yards and so on need to stay back, not try to get close to the chase on the sidewalk or other locations.

“Bad things could happen at any time,” he said.