Police arrested two 20-year-old Caldwell men Wednesday afternoon after one of them fled a traffic stop on Interstate 84, leading to a police chase, vehicle crash and wildfire.
According to an Idaho State Police report, a trooper attempted to stop a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix near the Ten Mile Road exit for reckless driving. Authorities said the driver fled eastbound and the officer pursued him.
The trooper broke off the pursuit as the driver headed toward downtown Boise on Interstate 184, the news release said.
Authorities said the driver crashed the car a short time later and it caught fire, causing a fire. An Ada County Emergency Services report showed a vehicle fire around the same time as the chase near the Franklin Road Flying Wye exit. It was the second crash in Boise resulting in vehicle fire in the last days.
Police said the driver fled on foot and was arrested a short distance from the crash, near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and McMullen Street. He was arrested on suspicion of fleeing from a police officer in a motor vehicle, which is a felony, as well as misdemeanors for resisting arrest and driving under the influence.
His charges had not yet appeared in the state’s online court system as of Thursday afternoon.
The passenger in the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of three misdemeanors, including possession of marijuana and participation in a crime.
