Fleeing driver veers into oncoming lanes during dangerous chase along I-694
Fleeing driver goes wrong way down I-694 during police chase
A chase near White Bear Lake, that reportedly started in Anoka County, narrowly avoided disaster as a driver reckless drove the wrong way down I-694 to try and escape law enforcement. NOTE: Parts of this video were edited out to remove moments when the vehicle wasn't visible on traffic cams.
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A driver led law enforcement agencies on a dangerous pursuit Wednesday evening, swerving in and out of traffic and driving in the wrong lanes on I-694 during rush hour.
Deputies with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office say they were alerted to the chase coming out of Anoka County on 35E around 4:30 p.m. According to deputies, the fleeing driver was behind the wheel of a suspected stolen vehicle.
FOX 9 witnessed part of the chase on traffic cameras, as the driver pulled off Century Avenue North in White Bear Lake, just east of Maplewood Mall. On Century Avenue, the driver darted around vehicles, in and out of the oncoming lane, before speeding the wrong way down the ramp to I-694 East.
The driver then enters eastbound lanes headed west on I-694, causing oncoming drivers to swerve out of the way and slam on their brakes. Eventually, the driver gets caught in a logjam of vehicles and instead hops the median to get back into westbound lanes.
In the correct set of lanes, the driver is again swerving around other cars, taking the shoulder at times. The driver eventually gets to the I-35E merger and heads south down 35E. Ramsey County deputies say, when the driver went into the wrong lanes, they terminated their pursuit. Other agencies however continued following the driver from a distance.
When the driver exited I-35E onto Little Canada Road, it appeared police were far behind the driver. Ramsey County deputies say it doesn't appear the driver was captured during the pursuit. FOX 9 has reached out to Anoka County for further information.
Despite the reckless driving, it doesn't appear there were any serious collisions during the encounter.