High Speed Chase Suspect Held on $50k Bond in Billings
UPDATED at 7 pm MDT on August 31, 2022
A man who was reportedly driving a sedan at speed over 150mph before it crashed and caught fire near Huntley, has been charged with several felonies.
According to the charging documents from the Yellowstone County Detention Center, Levi Johnson of Roseville, Minn. has been charged with felony criminal endangerment, felony theft, driving on a revoked or suspended license, and fleeing or eluding peace officer.
Johnson fled the scene of the accident after the crash, leaving a passenger inside who received critical injuries.
Johnson's bond is set at $50,000.
A fiery crash east of Billings began with a high-speed pursuit along Interstate 94 on Monday morning (8/29), according to the press release from the Montana Highway Patrol.
The incident began around 8:39 am Monday on Interstate 94 when a Sargeant from the MHP spotted a grey sedan "cutting off other vehicles" while going 95 mph in a 55 mph construction zone.
According to the report, the driver "would not yield to law enforcement," and reached speeds up to 150 mph before losing control and crashing into a field near the Huntley exit on Interstate 94.
The sedan then caught fire following the crash, and the male driver exited the vehicle and began running, according to the press release.
The MHP trooper and firefighters on the scene helped remove a passenger that was still inside the burning vehicle before it became "completely engulfed in flames." The male passenger was taken to a local hospital with critical injuries, according to the press release.
Yellowstone County Sherriff deputies and the YCSO air support joined in the search for the driver who fled the scene, along with an officer from Motor Carrier Services, according to the press release.
Once law enforcement set up a perimeter and began their search, the driver who fled the scene was taken into custody "without incident."
An investigation into the crash is continuing, according to the press release.
This story is continuing to develop and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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