If there were a criminal’s handbook there really should be a section on the strategy of trying to elude law enforcement on a closed interstate following an historic blizzard which shut down that highway for nearly four days.
Sadly, for Montana resident Michael Hallier there is no such chapter nor handbook.
Otherwise he may have realized that trying to outrun a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer on a highway that had snow drifts of more than five feet high in perhaps the most desolate stretch of I-80 was not the brightest of moves.
Turns out Hallier was near Wamsutter, Wyoming — which, at times, resembles the moon.
He was spotted trying to drive around the clearly marked closed gate at the onramp.
When the officer saw Hallier’s attempt, he went out to let him know that this was not allowable.
Earlier that day, a Californian tried the same maneuver outside of Laramie in a Mini Cooper. That resulted in costly wrecks and putting all snowplows out of commission for nearly four hours.
In Hallier’s case, once he saw the highway patrolman, he floored it and somehow exceeded 100mph.
Hallier even crossed the interstate onto the opposite lanes of travel. Nothing happened there, of course, because no one (outside of the Californian) was on Interstate 80– because it was closed.
Hallier took an exit and then decided to try his luck on an oilfield road in the desert north of Wamsutter — which always resembles the moon.
To no one’s surprise, Hallier failed in his escape slamming his vehicle into a snowbank.
He was subsequently arrested.
Hallier was charged with fleeing to elude, property damage, reckless driving, reckless endangering, driving on a closed road, and speeding.
Of course, Hallier is considered innocent until proven guilty. The dash cam footage must be spectacular.
