Man Dies After Crashing Into Sheriff’s Vehicle
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Man Dies After Crashing into Sheriff’s Vehicle
MT 43 News Staff Reporter
A man was killed Thursday, January 18 when the car he was driving at high speed while fleeing from a pursuing state highway patrolman crashed head-on into a Broadwater County deputy sheriff’s patrol car, officials reported.
Sheriff Nick Rauser later identified the deceased man only as Tyler Leslie. The deputy, Aaron Reynolds, suffered only minor injuries, Rauser said. The crash happened about 3:15 p.m. on Highway 287 north of Winston near the Pole Creek Road approach and across the highway from the county dump transfer station. Leslie was killed on impact.
The State Division of Criminal Investigation reported that prior to the pursuit, the suspect was involved in a hit-and-run crash in Helena and was subsequently seen by witnesses swerving on the highway and crashing into a snowbank. This generated a complaint to the Montana Highway Patrol. But before law enforcement arrived, a good Samaritan pulled the vehicle out of the snowbank, the report said.
Law enforcement arrived at the location and contacted the driver who then fled the scene, leading to the pursuit. It ended when the suspect vehicle encroached into the northbound lane that the Broadwater deputy was traveling, resulting in a head-on crash, the DCI report said.
Rauser said Reynolds was responding to assist with the pursuit. When the deputy saw the suspect coming his way, he activated his emergency lights. The suspect swerved toward the deputy. The deputy tried to avoid the collision, but unfortunately he was struck head on. Reynolds was able to exit his vehicle on his own accord.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Colton Morrish
Image 1 Caption: Scene of accident near Winston taken some time after the accident happened.
Photo Credits: Colton Morrish
