Man arrested after high speed chase from Kalispell to Dayton

Out on parole and wanted in connection with a recent robbery, a 32-year-old local man went back behind bars after allegedly leading local authorities on a high speed chase from Kalispell to Dayton on Dec. 4.

Sean James Edwards faces one felony count of criminal endangerment for his role in the pursuit, which reached speeds of more than 90 miles per hour and involved multiple law enforcement agencies, court documents said. He is expected to appear before Judge Robert Allison on Jan. 12 for his arraignment in Flathead County District Court.

The chase began after Kalispell Police officers spotted Edwards behind the wheel of a vehicle allegedly involved in a Dec. 2 robbery. According to a Dec. 5 press release issued by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, that vehicle also was reported as stolen.

Officers attempted to pull Edwards over at the intersection of Seventh Avenue West North and West Idaho Street, court documents said. Instead, Edwards allegedly sped up and fled.

Police pursued him on icy, snow-covered roads as he ran through several stop signs and traffic signals, dodged parked vehicles and forced other drivers off of the roads, court documents said. Deputies joined the chase as it entered U.S. 93, with the fleeing vehicle heading southbound.

It came to an end after deputies with the Flathead and Lake County sheriff’s offices deployed spike strips. The disabled vehicle came to a stop in Dayton, court documents said.

“I again appreciate the shared relationships between agencies that provided a safe conclusion for both officers involved and the subjects,” said Sheriff Brian Heino in a statement.

Authorities took Edwards to the Kalispell Police Department building where he declined to answer questions. A passenger in the vehicle, though, allegedly told investigators that Edwards panicked after officers tried to pull the vehicle over. Edwards, she said, did not want to go back to jail.

Edwards is on parole for two convictions in Flathead County, one for criminal endangerment and the other for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, as well as a criminal possession of dangerous drugs conviction in Lake County.

He is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center with bail set at $100,000.

A criminal endangerment charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine. In a press release, Heino wrote that his office continues to investigate the stolen vehicle while Kalispell Police officers are looking into the robbery.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.