Whitefish man charged with DUI following car chase
A Whitefish man has been charged following an alleged attempt to elude officers by speeding away in his vehicle, but ultimately leading them to his place of residence.
Wade Preston, 37, has been charged with felony criminal endangerment, driving under the influence of alcohol (second offense) and misdemeanor eluding a police officer.
According to court documents, a Whitefish Police Department officer on patrol at the intersection of U.S. 93 and JP Road saw a red car traveling southbound in excess of 45 mph and weaving in and out of traffic at 9:03 p.m. on Aug. 8.
The officer turned on his patrol lights, attempting to initiate a traffic stop, but the vehicle appeared to accelerate away. The officer caught up with the vehicle, which he noted was speeding at 90 to 100 mph. The vehicle continued to drive southbound, but had veered into northbound lanes. The vehicle reportedly veered back into the southbound lanes at speeds of 80 to 90 mph before it turned onto Hodgson Road.
The vehicle turned onto Bear Trail, reportedly leaving a cloud of dust. By this time, the officer had learned that Preston was the registered owner of the vehicle and lived on Bear Trail.
The officer obtained a search warrant for the residence to locate the driver. Preston reportedly came out from the back of the residence and approached officers. Preston was then arrested when an officer smelled alcohol on his breath and person, according to court documents. The vehicle was also located in the garage.
Preston allegedly agreed to perform a standard field sobriety test in which he exhibited signs of intoxication. He then agreed to a blood sample. It was noted that his driving record showed a March 6, 2012 conviction for operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or greater.
During an interview with law enforcement, Preston allegedly admitted to accelerating and driving into oncoming traffic in an attempt to escape after seeing the officer’s overhead lights come on.
Arraignment is set for Aug. 31.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.