Suspect vehicle avoids traffic stop, crashes in Alexandria; 1 arrested, another at large

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says a vehicle failed to stop for police and ended up crashing a short while later.

Early Tuesday morning around 2:16 a.m., a deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling eastbound on Third Avenue in Alexandria after the deputy saw the vehicle driving at a high rate of speed.

The suspect vehicle attempted to flee authorities and continued the same direction. Due to the vehicle’s speed and the driver’s disregard for the public, the deputy shut his emergency lights off to prevent a pursuit, the sheriff’s office said.

A short while after, the deputy witnessed sparks and a bright flash east of Nokomis Street and proceeded eastbound to investigate whether the vehicle had crashed. The deputy found the vehicle had crashed into a power pole near the intersection of Third Avenue and Quincy Street, and the driver and passenger had fled the scene.

The passenger was eventually detained. Deputies later identified the driver through their investigation and a warrant is being requested for his arrest.

No charges were specified in the release, however, police learned the vehicle was stolen out of Fergus Falls.