Teen leads police on chase through Bonners Ferry

SANDPOINT — Two teens from Montana were apprehended early Friday morning after leading police on a high-speed chase through Bonners Ferry before they were nabbed in Sandpoint.

Suspects William Avery Currier, 15, and Amy Ann Birch, 17, both of Kalispell, are accused of felony theft and eluding, according to charging papers filed in juvenile court.

The pursuit, which included speeds of up to 95 mph, began at about 12:30 a.m., when Boundary County dispatchers were advised the stolen truck was headed their way. The notification came from OnStar, a satellite-based communication and tracking system installed in the vehicle.

A Bonners Ferry Police officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but it sped south on U.S. Highway 95 toward Sandpoint. Bonner County Sheriff’s deputies deployed a spike strip at Upper Pack River Road, but the chase continued even though the truck was riding on a front wheel, which only had the aluminum rim left.

Speeds reached 95 mph before the truck was disabled and slowed to 80 mph after the tires were punctured, a police report said. Throughout the chase, the truck periodically swerved into oncoming traffic, forcing other vehicles off the road in the process, the report said.

Ponderay Police Officer Mike Victorino attempted to halt the chase before it entered Sandpoint by using his patrol vehicle’s push bumper, but the rogue rig managed to maintain its course, said the report.

The teens apparently surrendered at Fifth Avenue and Larch Street in Sandpoint and were taken into custody, according to the police report. Both reportedly admitted taking the pickup truck, which was parked in front of a Kalispell tavern with the keys in the ignition. The pair wanted to go to Washington and start a new life together.