Courtney Lynn Towry, 29, Mandan, is accused of fleeing law enforcement at speeds approaching up to 140 mph at times for 75 miles on U.S. Highway 83 South to Sheridan County Highway 53 South on Saturday, driving through four different counties and seven cities and involving six separate law enforcement agencies.

Towry is charged in district court in Minot with fleeing a police officer in a vehicle with risk of death or serious bodily injury, a C felony; reckless endangerment with extreme indifference to human life, a C felony, and driving with a suspended license, a fourth or subsequent offense within five years, a Class A misdemeanor. Towry is charged in district court in McLean County with Class C felony reckless endangerment, Class C felony fleeing a police officer, and Class A misdemeanor driving with a suspended license, as well as with speeding. She is charged in district court in McHenry County with Class C felony reckless endangerment, Class A misdemeanor fleeing a police officer, and Class B misdemeanor driving with a suspended driver’s license. She was also cited by the North Dakota Highway Patrol for speeding.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the court by Ward County Deputy Nicholas Van Pelt, he was notified at 8:46 p.m. on Saturday by deputies with the McLean County Sheriff’s Department that the Highway Patrol was engaged in a high speed pursuit north on Highway 83. Van Pelt then went to assist. Highway Patrol notified them that Towry was passing mile marker 176, headed north, at speeds approaching up to 130 mph. Van Pelt and another deputy parked their patrol vehicles on either side of the north bound lane of Highway 83 South, near the intersection of Highway 23. They set up spike strips in the north bound lane. Both had emergency lights on their vehicles. Towry came through at 8:55 p.m. She came to a stop in the left lane in front of Van Pelt’s spike strips. Van Pelt wrote that he could clearly see Towry laughing as she put the vehicle in reverse and backed away from the spike strip. The Highway Patrol vehicle then came up behind the car with his emergency lights and sirens on. Both Ward County deputies drew their weapons and ordered Towry out of the vehicle. Towry ignored the commands, put her vehicle back into drive and went over both spike strips. She continued driving north on Highway 83, headed south into Minot. Another deputy set out other spike strips on Highway 83 South. Towry drove over the spike strips but her tires did not deflate. The Highway Patrol stopped its chase just south of the Minot city limits. A Minot police officer located Towry’s vehicle at the Holiday gas station on South Broadway in Minot. He did not make contact with her but Towry saw his marked patrol vehicle and left the gas station parking lot. Another Minot police officer saw Towry drive into the Woodridge Trailer Court. Another Ward County deputy then located the vehicle driving north on 6th Street SE and tried to stop it on Highway 2 and 52 East at mile marker 147 for having illegally tinted windows. Towry then fled again on U.S. Highway 2 and 52 East, exited at the Highway 52 south exit and ran a stop sign at the intersection. She then sped up to 100 mph again on U.S. Highway 52 South, then sped up to 125 mph while traveling south on U.S. Highway 52 South. State radio notified the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department, who set up spike strips at the McHenry County line. Towry continued to pass other motorists at speeds over 100 mph. Towry ran over the spike strips and continued into McHenry County. She drove into Velva at over 100 mph, where the posted speed limit is 40 mph. She passed two other vehicles in the center turn lane at high speed and forced other drivers off the road. She continued south on U.S. Highway 52, speeding up to 140 mph. She turned south on Sheridan County Highway 53. McLean County deputies set up more spike strips on Highway 53 near Butte. She ran over the spike strips, then slowed down to 80 mph and then to 60 mph. She finally came to a stop on Highway 53. Deputies from Ward County, McLean County, Sheridan County, and the Highway Patrol all then approached. Towry put her hands up but refused to get out of the vehicle. She tried to back up until a McLean County Sheriff’s Department squad car blocked her vehicle. Law enforcement could not see how many people were in the vehicle because of the tinted windows. Van Pelt wrote that he broke out the rear driver side window of Towry’s car with his baton, saw that no one was in the back seat, and then broke out the driver’s side window with the baton. Towry opened the door and Van Pelt grabbed her by the hand. She was placed under arrest and read her rights.

Van Pelt wrote that he could smell a strong odor of alcohol and Towry, who was crying and hysterical, admitted to drinking all day. She had a breath alcohol content of 0.052 percent, which is under the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Van Pelt wrote that he asked Towry, “Do you know how many people you almost killed in the process of this?” and Towry replied, “I’m pretty sure that was the point of it.” She then told another deputy she had probably just been trying to kill herself. She told Van Pelt, “I’m pretty sure you probably just saved my life.”