UPDATE: 10:14 a.m. - Nov. 13
A man was taken into custody on Thursday after driving through a Columbia Falls grocery store before crashing his vehicle and fleeing on foot.
Columbia Falls Police Chief Clint Peters said a man in his 50s drove his vehicle, a 1995 Chevrolet Lumina, into Super 1 Foods around 5:50 p.m.
After coming in through the front doors, the man then drove down an aisle to the back of the store, before turning around and driving down another aisle.
He then left through the front doors and crashed the vehicle across the highway.
Within minutes, Chief Peters said police were advised of a nude male running down a hallway of a nearby retirement home that was near the area where the Chevrolet Lumina was abandoned.
Peters said the nude male fled on foot but was eventually taken into custody near the Columbia Falls mini-storage area.
Peters said a short investigation determined that the nude male was in fact the driver of the Chevrolet Lumina that had driven through Super One.
Peters said the man showed signs of drug impairment at the time of his arrest.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital for non-injury medical issues and will be transported to the Flathead County Detention Center when he is medically cleared.
Peters said the suspect’s name and pending charges will not be released until transported and formally booked into the Flathead County Detention Center.
So far, no injuries have been reported in this incident.
Chief Peters added that Columbia Falls residents immediately rallied to help clean up the store, which he said says a lot about the community.
(First report: 8:46 p.m. - Nov. 12, 2020)
A man was taken into custody on Thursday night after driving through a Columbia Falls grocery store before crashing his vehicle and fleeing on foot.
Columbia Falls Police Chief Clint Peters said a man in his 50s drove his vehicle into Super 1 Foods around 5:30 p.m.
After coming in through the front doors, the man then drove down an aisle to the back of the store, before turning around and driving down another aisle.
He then left through the front doors and crashed the vehicle across the highway.
Peters said the man fled on foot but was eventually taken into custody near the Columbia Falls mini-storage area.
The man has not been identified, but officials said more information should be released on Friday.
So far no injuries were reported in this incident.
Chief Peters added that Columbia Falls residents immediately rallied to help clean up the store, which he said says a lot about the community.
