CHUBBUCK — An 18-year-old man was arrested early Tuesday morning after police say he led officers on a high-speed chase through Chubbuck and into Fort Hall —an incident that ended when his car rolled over on a dirt road and he fled the scene on foot with two injured passengers in the vehicle.

Gilbert John Northrup has been charged with felony eluding a peace officer following a Chubbuck Police Department investigation, according to police and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

The incident began to unfold around 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday when a Chubbuck officer on patrol observed a red Chevrolet Cobalt traveling west on New Day Parkway, crossing the railroad tracks at what appeared to be excessive speed. The officer pulled in behind the vehicle and observed it swerving within its lane, crossing the center line and making an abrupt lane change at the intersection of Hiline Road and New Day Parkway, police said.

Suspecting the driver may be impaired, the officer activated his emergency lights to signal the vehicle to stop. The car passed a side street without pulling over, prompting the officer to activate his siren and notify dispatch the vehicle was failing to yield, according to court records.

The vehicle then began accelerating. The officer pursued it on Hiline Road at approximately 60 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone before the car turned west onto Ballard Road, where speeds ranged from 60 to approximately 80-100 mph, police said. The officer noted the vehicle was not slowing at intersections and was driving through them at reckless speeds.

Officers requested Fort Hall police set up spike strips, and a Fort Hall officer positioned spike strips at the intersection of Cemetery Road and Rio Vista. When the fleeing vehicle approached, it slowed and attempted to evade the spikes, but at least one tire appeared to be affected, according to court records. The vehicle continued north on Rio Vista as the road transitioned from pavement to dirt.

Shortly after turning onto the dirt road, visibility dropped due to dust in the air. As the pursuing officer was preparing to terminate the chase, he observed the vehicle roll over onto its side and come to a stop, police said.

The officer approached with his department-issued sidearm drawn and found the passenger door open slightly in the air due to the vehicle being on its side. He gave commands for the driver to show his hands but received no response and saw no movement. When a Fort Hall officer arrived, the two approached the vehicle together and found a man and a woman inside, both appearing to be unconscious, according to court records.

Unable to break out the front window, the officer moved to the rear window and broke it out. He was then able to communicate with the two occupants. The man told officers his neck was hurting, and both he and the woman told police that another man had been driving and had fled the scene before officers arrived. Both were transported to Portneuf Medical Center to be treated for their injuries, police said.

Officers searched the surrounding area and located a man, identified as Northrup, hiding under a tree a few hundred yards away.

Northrup was transported to the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello, where he was booked on the felony eluding charge. He was also booked on an outstanding warrant out of Ada County for a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent, according to court records.

Northrup appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge David W. Cousin for an arraignment hearing on Tuesday where his bond was set at $50,000.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on June 2 for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate the case from magistrate to district court for trial.

If convicted of felony eluding, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.