Evergreen crash suspect on probation for felonies
<p><strong>Vincent Meuli</strong> picks up debris on Wednesday left from the wreck caused by a stolen vehicle that crashed into the lot Tuesday afternoon at Glacier Auto Co. in Evergreen. Eight vehicles on the lot were hit; seven of them were totaled. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
A convicted felon on probation is in custody following a wild vehicle crash in Evergreen on Tuesday afternoon.
Dale Frederick Siefke, 25, was jailed after the crash for allegedly violating terms of felony probation, according to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.
Siefke is suspected of leading law officers from multiple agencies on a pursuit before crashing into eight parked vehicles at a car dealership in Evergreen.
The pursuit and crash are under investigation by the Montana Highway Patrol and Kalispell Police Department.
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper R.L. Hensley said the suspect allegedly was able to avoid a Kalispell Police officer who tried to stop the driver of a pickup truck that had been reported stolen.
The driver, later identified as Siefke, left at a high rate of speed and gave officers the slip once more before he lost control on West Cottonwood Drive and crashed into the Glacier Auto Co. lot on U.S. 2.
Eight vehicles were hit and seven were totaled, causing an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 in damage.
Siefke allegedly fled the vehicle on foot before he was caught by officers.
The first part of the chase is being investigated by Kalispell Police Department, which has not released details of the incident.
Siefke is on felony probation for a forgery case that originated in November 2012 and a criminal possession of dangerous drug conviction from a July 2014 incident. Both sentences were handed down in January 2015.
Glacier Auto Co. finished clearing up most of the mess Tuesday evening, but lot worker James Jellesed said the vehicle that bore the brunt of the collision, a Chevy Suburban, had to be cleaned up Wednesday morning.
After picking up the pieces, the business was trying to get back to normal.
“We’re still in business, we’re just missing a few cars,” Jellesed said.
Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.