Three arrested after 120 mph chase from Bozeman to Helena

Three people were in custody after a stolen silver Mercedes-Benz SUV tore through Helena at more than 120 mph, crossing into oncoming traffic and nearly striking another car before a trooper ended the chase with a PIT maneuver at Masonic Home Road and Glass Drive.

The pursuit began around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, after Montana Highway Patrol spotted the SUV, which had Gallatin County plates, while troopers were assisting Butte Police. Officers had flagged the vehicle as suspicious and possibly tied to crimes in the Bozeman area, where police were already investigating a series of armed robberies and burglaries.

A passenger wearing a probation-and-parole GPS monitor bracelet helped authorities track the SUV as it raced east and then north toward Helena. By the time it reached the Lewis and Clark County area, troopers moved to intercept it on I-15 northbound, where the chase reportedly pushed past 120 mph and put drivers on one of the region’s busiest highway corridors at immediate risk.

Court documents say the SUV exited at Cedar Street and kept going through city streets before the end came in a rollover crash at Masonic Home Road and Glass Drive. The vehicle later crossed into oncoming traffic on North Harris Street and nearly collided head-on with another car before stopping on Joslyn Street, underscoring the danger the chase created for Helena-area motorists and the officers trying to contain it.

The driver was identified as Brandon Lee Verge. He and the two passengers ran after the crash, but officers caught them on foot. Investigators say Verge confessed to driving the stolen SUV and to committing two armed robberies in Bozeman and Belgrade. He was charged with fleeing or eluding a peace officer and two counts of criminal endangerment, while other agencies were expected to file additional charges tied to the robberies and the stolen vehicle.

Bozeman police said they were investigating three armed robberies at businesses that morning, including a hotel near North 7th and Oak and a gas station near East Main and North Broadway. A similar incident was also reported in Belgrade, and police said there was no further risk to the public once the suspect was in custody.