DUI Chase Through Missoula Ends With Stop Sticks on Higgins Bridge, 24-Year-Old Woman Charged
24-year-old Chelsea Denae Martin is being charged with her third DUI, but along the way to that charge, she racked up a steeper charge of felony criminal endangerment while she led authorities on a chase through Missoula that started Wednesday night. Missoula county Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Brenda Bassett, says a deputy first noticed Martin’s vehicle driving erratically.
"One of our deputies was traveling south-bound on Brooks, when he noticed that a grey Dodge Avenger passed him in the passing lane and was going about 50 MPH, it almost hit another car and then the vehicle moved in front of another vehicle and accelerated in speed, driving erratically and weaving in and out of traffic and crossing the dividing line. Then the deputy tried to initiate a traffic stop and the car pulled over," Bassett said.
The traffic stop didn’t end well, and things quickly devolved into a chase that nearly injured multiple people.
"He asked the single female driver to roll down her window, she didn't and drove away. The pursuit went through several areas of town: from Brooks, to Reserve, to Higgins," Bassett said. "She had gone through several stop lights and several stop signs, she did hit a vehicle that had pulled to the side of the road, but no one was hurt."
Martin was finally brought to a stop on the Higgins Bridge, but only after her tires were blown out by stop sticks thrown on the bridge by police. Even after all of that, Martin still refused to roll down her window. A deputy approached the car and attempted to break the window with his flash light... after which, Martin did roll down the window and deputies pulled her out of the vehicle. According to the affidavit, Martin was not wearing any pants or underwear, so police clothed her in a blanket, an open box of wine was also found in the vehicle.
Below is a video of the end of the chase, caught by some civilians that were on the bridge (warning: there is some cussing in the video).