High-speed chase ends in rollover crash near Helena, three arrested

A fast-moving chase that crossed into Lewis and Clark County ended in a rollover crash near Helena after speeds climbed to 120 mph, forcing city police, county deputies and state troopers into a coordinated response and sending three people to St. Peter’s Health.

Butte-Silver Bow law enforcement first alerted Montana Highway Patrol after a vehicle fled just after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Silver Bow County. Troopers later spotted the suspect vehicle near Helena and followed it northbound on I-15, where patrol reports said the driver hit speeds of up to 120 mph.

The pursuit left the interstate at the Cedar Street interchange, but it did not stop there. It continued to the intersection of Masonic Home Road and Glass Drive, where an MHP sergeant used a PIT maneuver to end the chase. The maneuver caused the vehicle to roll, leaving the driver with minor injuries and the two passengers with non-life-threatening injuries.

All three occupants were taken into custody and transported to St. Peter’s Health. Helena Police Department officers and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted, underscoring how quickly a pursuit that starts in one county can spill into Helena and pull in multiple agencies at once.

The crash comes as pursuit policy and roadway danger remain active concerns in the Helena area. KTVH reported in January that Lewis and Clark County had already seen two high-speed pursuits in less than a month, including one fatal crash in East Helena. In another Helena pursuit in February, police said speeds topped 100 mph and the case involved allegations of theft, attempted kidnapping and DUI.

Montana Highway Patrol has said it conducted about 100 high-speed pursuits last year, and the Montana Department of Transportation says there were 198 traffic fatalities on Montana roads in 2025. Those numbers frame the scrutiny that now falls on each decision made during a chase like Tuesday’s, from when troopers choose to follow to when they decide the risk on the road has become too high to continue.