Chase ends with arrest, damaged cruisers

A Kalispell youth led police on a high speed chase through Columbia Falls last Wednesday, wrecking a stolen car into the U.S. Highway 2 Flathead River bridge in a crime that has as many twists and turns as a snake on the side of the road.

The initial complaint came in about 4:20 a.m. that a Mustang was doing burnouts in the parking lot of Super 1 Foods. Columbia Falls Police officer Mike Johnson and a Flathead County Sheriff's deputy responded.

By then, James L. Malley, 16, was eastbound on U.S. Highway 2 and a chase ensued. Malley reached speeds of more than 70 mph through town and later crashed the Mustang into the westbound side of the Flathead River bridge.

As the patrol cars neared the scene, the Sheriff Deputy apparently turned in front of the Columbia Falls patrol car and the two collided.

Malley may have jumped over the bridge — police aren't exactly sure — but he did get away, said Police Chief Dave Perry.

The youth then allegedly stole another car that was near the scene and fled to Kalispell where he allegedly burglarized and holed up in an unoccupied duplex. From there, Malley made a phone call to a third party, said Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset. That party called police and they were able to trace the call back to the duplex. When they got there, they noticed the stolen car in the driveway and eventually gained entrance into the home and arrested Malley.

Malley allegedly first stole the Mustang in Chester, after he apparently first stole his parent's car in Kalispell and drove it there. He then ditched his parent's car and took the sports car and drove it back to the Flathead.

The Columbia Falls patrol car had about $6,000 in damage and the county patrol car about $3,000 in damage, Perry said.

Malley faces numerous charges, Perry said, and also had a warrant for arson in an unrelated incident.