Drugs found after Wallace traffic stop turns into Montana pursuit

WALLACE – A vehicle traffic stop Saturday night in Wallace turned into a chase in Montana after the suspect drove away from the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducting the stop. 

The initial traffic stop took place on eastbound Interstate 90 near Milepost 59. SCSO said the driver was stopped for a simple traffic infraction. 

SCSO Captain Seth Green said the driver feigned compliance initially, but “the suspect vehicle slow-rolled the deputy to clearly just buy time before accelerating and fleeing into Montana as fast as possible.”

SCSO has been building connections over the last year with Montana law enforcement in order to better handle drug and contraband traffickers in a unified fashion along the I-90 corridor. 

Law enforcement in Mineral County, Montana, took over the investigation after the pursuit crossed the state line.

Montana law enforcement attempted to spike the vehicle’s tires, but the vehicle avoided them and exited the highway without being observed by law enforcement.

The driver later fled on foot, abandoning the vehicle. 

SCSO confirmed that drugs were found in the abandoned vehicle by Montana law enforcement.