Teton Pass pursuit ends with arrest
TETON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - A 26-year-old Idaho Falls man is in the Teton County, Wyoming jail after being accused of stealing a car and running from law enforcement.
The Teton County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious vehicle parked near the Valley of the Tetons Library in Victor Friday around 3:21 a.m.
The vehicle, a grey Toyota Prius with Idaho license plates, had been parked for some time with a turn signal light on.
Teton County Deputies made contact with the driver of the vehicle identified as 26-year-old Devin James Howe of Idaho Falls. Deputies found fictitious plates had been placed on the vehicle and the actual license plates found inside had shown the Prius reported stolen in Bingham County.
Howe fled the scene in the Prius heading southbound on Highway 33 towards the Idaho/Wyoming state border, reaching speeds of up to 91 mph, swerving recklessly and with the vehicle headlights off. TCSO deputies pursued the vehicle into Wyoming, continuing up the Teton Pass on Wyoming Highway 22 over very hazardous winter driving conditions.
Teton County Wyoming authorities were contacted and advised of the pursuit and began staging law enforcement units to deploy a spike strip to attempt to stop the vehicle. Spike strips are devices laid in the roadway and utilized to impede or stop the movement of wheeled vehicles by puncturing their tires. A spike strip was successfully deployed at mile marker 6 near Wilson, Wyo.
Howe continued driving the vehicle on deflated tires into Jackson until the vehicle was stopped at the Highway 22/89 Junction. Wyoming officers took Howe into custody and transported him to the Teton County, Wyo. Jail in Jackson to be held on the charge of being in possession of a stolen vehicle. Other charges expected to be filed will be felony battery on an officer, reckless driving, false information provided to an officer, fleeing or attempting to elude officers, resisting officers and possession of paraphernalia.
