Authorities have identified Jason Allen Miller of Eureka as the man accused of leading law enforcement officers on a chase and hitting a Montana Highway Patrol trooper with his vehicle near Eureka on Thursday.
Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short says deputies attempted to arrest Miller on a felony warrant for a parole violation on charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and theft.
Miller drove away in his pickup truck and led deputies on a chase along Montana Highway 37 south of Eureka. Deputies were joined in the chase by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper.
Miller tried to turn onto Camp 32 Road and lost control of his vehicle. Deputies and the trooper approached the vehicle to arrest Miller, but Sheriff Short says Miller regained control of his truck and drove at a deputy and the trooper.
The trooper was hit by Miller’s truck.
A Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks game warden intercepted Miller off Camp 32 Road where Miller rammed the warden’s vehicle before being arrested.
A female passenger in Miller’s vehicle jumped out of the truck during the chase and was later taken into custody by US Border Patrol Agents. Sheriff Short says she was questioned and released.
The injured MHP trooper was flown by air ambulance to Logan Health Center in Kalispell.
As of Friday, the trooper remains hospitalized and is in serious but stable condition, according to the MHP. The trooper's name has not yet been released.
Miller, 41 years old, is being held in the Lincoln County Detention Center on a no-bond arrest warrant; Sheriff Short says charges are pending and are expected to be announced next week.
Montana Highway Patrol Colonel Steve Lavin said in a news release:
“This is a harsh reminder of the dangers we face as law enforcement officers. The outpouring of support from Montanans and the law enforcement community has been tremendous. Please continue to keep our trooper, the MHP family, and all law enforcement in your prayers. I’m thankful for the incredible work of our partners at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Division of Criminal Investigation, and every agency involved in yesterday’s incident who are investigating and who helped our trooper get to the hospital safely.”
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, assisted by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and MHP.
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