28-mile high-speed chase ends in PIT, meth seized in Otter Tail County

A nearly 28-mile high-speed pursuit in western Minnesota ended with a precision immobilization technique, or PIT, and the seizure of methamphetamine, according to an Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office incident summary. The chase, which reached speeds topping 100 mph, began after deputies attempted a traffic stop for a vehicle without license plates on Minnesota Highway 108 near County Road 11.

The pursuit crossed county lines before an Otter Tail County deputy executed the PIT maneuver to bring the vehicle to a stop. Law enforcement located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. A 21-year-old driver from Detroit Lakes and a 21-year-old male passenger from Moorhead were taken into custody. An 18-year-old female passenger was released at the scene. The events took place Jan. 18.

High-speed pursuits that reach triple-digit speeds and span dozens of miles pose direct risks to motorists, emergency responders, and people near roadways. For residents of Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, and the surrounding townships, the incident highlights how quickly routine traffic enforcement can escalate into a multi-jurisdictional response with life-and-death implications. County Highway 108 and adjoining roads are heavily used by local traffic, snowplow routes, school buses, and commuter routes, multiplying potential exposure when pursuits occur.

Beyond the immediate public-safety angle, the episode raises policy questions for county and neighboring law enforcement agencies. PIT maneuvers are a recognized tactic to end pursuits but carry known risks, including vehicle rollovers and injuries to occupants and bystanders. Cross-county chases require clear protocols for coordination, communication, and after-action review. Those procedural choices reflect institutional priorities about when to press a pursuit versus when to prioritize minimizing risk to the public.

The methamphetamine seizure also signals continuing local enforcement attention to drug activity. For voters and community members weighing public-safety spending and criminal justice priorities, this incident intersects with broader debates about patrol resources, pursuit policies, and transparency in law enforcement operations.

What comes next is institutional: residents can expect that arrest processing and any criminal charges will proceed through normal county and state channels, and that the sheriff’s office and partner agencies will need to explain pursuit and PIT usage policies if community concern grows. The episode should prompt conversations at county meetings about balancing aggressive enforcement against risks to public safety and how community oversight and clear policies can reduce harm on Otter Tail County roads.