Two arrested following high-speed chase across multiple counties

(Nelson County, ND) — Two people were arrested after deputies from the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop in Nelson County on Wednesday night.

According to Grand Forks County Sheriff Andy Schneider, the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office responded to a request from State Radio dispatch reegarding a reckless driver traveling westbound on Highway 2 near Larimore. The reporting party provided the license plate of the vehicle, which had been reported stolen out of Fargo.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived as they were requested for mutual aid from the North Dakota Highway Patrol, as they were not in the area and no Nelson County units were available.

The vehicle was located westbound on Highway 2 in Nelson County, and deputies initiated a traffic stop. The operator of the vehicle began to flee at speeds between 60 and 100 miles per hour. A Grand Forks County attempted a PIT maneuver as the vehicle had slowed to negotiate a southbound turn. The maneuver was unsuccessful. A tire deflation device was later deployed and deflated three of the four tires.

Two miles later, the vehicle crossed the median and came to rest in the wesbound lane, where a high-risk traffic stop resulted in two arrests.

Claude Joseph Black, age 28, of St. Michael, N.D., and Sherilyn June Lohnes, age 34, of Tokio, N.D., were arrested.

The incident is under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office.