LIMA — Along a lonely stretch of highway in Southwest Montana, just north of Lima, the Beaverhead County Sheriff says that he suffered injuries while working to apprehend an impaired driver.
"I just held onto the steering wheel and prayed. So here we go!" says Sheriff David Wendt, the Beaverhead County Sheriff.
Sheriff Wendt responded to a 911 call from a truck driver who was following a dark-colored SUV with Washington State license plates that was driving erratically near the Montana/Idaho border around five in the morning on Aug. 8th.
"I caught up with the SUV at Dell. Got in behind it turned my dash camera on. The car was all over the road. Initiated my warning lights and siren and the driver, a female Washington did not stop," says Sheriff Wendt.
A high speed chase ensued.
"We were doing speeds from a hundred – well over a hundred—down to 60 back to 80," says Sheriff Wendt.
After about 11 miles, he became concerned when he spotted taillights up ahead.
"So I did pass her through the rumble strips and halfway into the median. Got back in front of her and then I slowed down. She did bump me a little bit then she slowed way down then I was like “Oh good we’re going to stop.” And then here she came full throttle and just rear ended me," says Sheriff Wendt.
The impact deployed the SUV driver’s airbags, and the car chase ended. Sheriff Wendt says the driver was combative when he tried to remove her from the SUV.
WATCH: Beaverhead County Sheriff recounts his experience of the accident
"I was trying to get her out of the truck... it was like I’m kind of, I’m in trouble. She was definitely altered state of mind," says Sheriff Wendt.
Once he removed the driver, the female truck driver who initially called 911 stopped and helped get the driver in handcuffs.
"Living down here in Lima, I have no backup. I'm by myself so you gotta take what help you can get. Really thankful that this trucker stopped."
Sheriff Wendt says he has sustained injuries to his back from the impact of the SUV. The female driver bonded out of jail. The incident is currently under investigation by the Montana Highway Patrol.
"This probably wasn’t text book way to get her to stop, but it worked. Everybody’s safe."
