Van Buren County deputies arrested suspect after high-speed chase and fentanyl found
By: A 27-year-old Sterling Heights man in possession of fentanyl was arrested after a high-speed chase, according to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department.
Around 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Van Buren County Central Dispatch received a phone call from a semi-truck driver who was following a white pick-up, driven by Gino Miller, who was driving erratically on the roadway, according to deputies.
Miller was driving eastbound on I-94 near the Hartford exit and almost hit the semi as it drove by, going in and out of the lane at varying speeds, and driving on the shoulder of the road, according to the investigation.
The Be on the Lookout was broadcast county wide and the vehicle was located shortly by a Van Buren County Sergeant near the 56-mile marker, deputies said.
After seeing the erratic driving, a traffic stop was initiated and Miller came to a stop near the 59-mile marker in Paw Paw Township, investigation shows.
After Miller stopped the vehicle, he quickly took off, using an emergency vehicle turnaround to leave the eastbound lanes and drive west, deputies said.
The speeds reached 85–100 miles per hour as the pursuit continued westbound near I-94 through Van Buren County, investigation shows.
Spike strips were used by multiple agencies to try and stop the vehicle, but Miller was able to avoid them, according to deputies.
The chase continued into Berrien County, where it was taken over by deputies from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office.
A third deployment of spike strips was used by Berrien County deputies and was successful, Miller continued westbound at a slow speed despite the damage and shredding of the front left tire, deputies said.
Miller continued driving and made multiple attempts to swerve into police vehicles that were trying to get him to move to the side of the road, the investigation shows.
The chase came to an end near the 38-mile marker of westbound I-94 in Berrien County, where Miller was taken into custody by the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, deputies said.
A small amount of fentanyl was located during the arrest, according to the sheriff's office.
After Miller was identified, it was shown that he has multiple warrants including one out of Berrien County for fleeing and eluding, possession of cocaine, and an extraditable felony warrant out of Illinois, deputies said.
The report was forwarded to the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office for review and authorization of charges.
No squad cars were damaged during the incident, deputies said.
Assisting agencies include:
Pokagon Tribal Police
Hartford Police Department
Berrien County Sheriff’s Office
Benton Township Police Department
Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety
Watervliet Police Department