MANISTIQUE, Mich. — A high-speed police pursuit in Manistique early Wednesday morning ended with a crash, a foot chase, and the arrest of a 15-year-old suspect, according to the Manistique Department of Public Safety.
The incident began around 3:21 a.m. on July 2, when a public safety officer observed a passenger vehicle traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 2 near the Lakeshore BP station with no headlights on. The vehicle was also driving well below the posted speed limit.
The officer began following the car and attempted a traffic stop by activating his emergency lights. The driver refused to stop, turning onto Arbutus Avenue, accelerating, and running a stop sign at Range Street. The officer then activated his siren to warn nearby drivers and pedestrians.
The pursuit continued through the city and onto U.S. Highway 2, where the suspect vehicle reached speeds over 100 miles per hour as it exited the city. The officer called for backup during the pursuit.
A Sault Tribe Police Department officer responding from the east made visual contact with the suspect vehicle and the pursuing officer near the Tannery Road intersection. As the suspect attempted to turn south onto Tannery Road, the vehicle veered off the pavement and crashed approximately 115 feet from the road.
Officers at the scene saw multiple occupants exit the crashed vehicle. A male and female passenger were detained immediately, but the driver fled on foot. Another Manistique Public Safety officer and two Michigan State Police troopers arrived shortly after to assist with the search.
Fire personnel from Manistique Public Safety and the Manistique Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched after smoke was seen coming from the crashed vehicle. Manistique EMS also responded to evaluate the two detained passengers, who sustained minor injuries and were transported to Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital.
Investigators determined the suspect driver was a 15-year-old male from Manistique. The two passengers, both 14 years old, are residents of Schoolcraft County. The vehicle involved had been taken without the owner’s permission.
Around 6:00 a.m., the suspect was located and taken into custody on Tannery Road after a Manistique Volunteer firefighter spotted him while clearing from the earlier fire call.
Manistique Public Safety was assisted in the incident by the Sault Tribe Police Department, Michigan State Police, Manistique EMS, and the Manistique Volunteer Fire Department. The investigation is ongoing, and no further details have been released at this time.
