Car chase ends in crash, power outage

No one was injured, but about 100 Flathead Electric Cooperative members were left without electricity after a person chasing a suspected car thief crashed a vehicle into a power pole off Conrad Drive early Friday morning.

According to Kalispell Police Department Patrol Capt. Tim Falkner, the owner of a stolen vehicle and friend gave chase at around 2 a.m., trying to catch up to the stolen vehicle.

The vigilantes ended up accidentally running the vehicle into a power pole.

The stolen vehicle was found shortly thereafter, abandoned in the same neighborhood where the crash occurred. There was some rear-end damage sustained from where the chase vehicle came in contact with the stolen vehicle.

The crash was still under investigation Friday afternoon and Falkner was unsure if the driver of the chase vehicle would be cited. The suspected thief is still at large.

“I don’t believe there was any alcohol or drugs involved,” Falkner said.

Affected residents were without power for eight hours as Flathead Electric changed out the damaged power pole.