Man arrested for eluding police, driving 100 mph down U.S. 20

A Montana man drove up to 100 miles an hour down U.S. Highway 20 outside of Ashton to Madison County where a “spike strip” stopped him Wednesday evening.

The chase began at 8:03 p.m., near milepost 453 and ended 16 minutes later in Madison County at milepost 333, reported Madison County Sheriff Ron Ball.

“The speeds reached just over 100 mph,” he said.

Ball didn’t know why the driver accelerated to such high speeds, he said.

Initially, an Idaho State Police officer attempted to get the Montana man to pull over without any luck, Ball said.

“He was speeding at 84 mph in a 65-mph zone at milepost 353,” Ball said.

Despite efforts to stop the man, the driver continued and accelerated to 100 mph. After he continued down U.S. 20, Madison County Sheriff’s deputies deployed the spikes.

Ball said the spikes are designed to prevent the car from rolling.

“They’re a very safe mechanism,” he said. “They flatten the tire slowly.”

The driver of the car works in Ashton. He was charged with eluding police and was taken into custody. The other four passengers were cited for marijuana and paraphernalia possession, Ball said.

The driver appeared before a judge on Friday.