A Kalispell man with a criminal history reportedly led police on a high-speed pursuit through Whitefish on Wednesday, Dec. 3, before the chase ended in a crash, authorities said.

Aaron Martin McGarry, 38, is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center on a pending felony charge of fleeing from or eluding a peace officer. His bail is set at $125,000.

Deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop McGarry's vehicle near Hilltop Road in Columbia Falls, according to information from the Sheriff's Office.  

McGarry, with active warrants out for his arrest, reportedly fled and continued onto U.S. 2 toward Whitefish, reaching speeds of 80-100 mph and driving into oncoming traffic.  

McGarry and pursuing officers raced down Baker Avenue before McGarry crashed near a residence in the O’Brien Avenue area. He allegedly briefly fled on foot before being apprehended and taken into custody.

A bench warrant was issued for McGarry after he reportedly failed to show up for his sentencing in Flathead County District Court on Oct. 30. 

McGarry’s was charged Feb. 10 with felony assault on a police officer when McGarry allegedly shifted his vehicle into drive while deputies tried to pull him over. The car pulled two deputies along for a short stretch, court documents said. When the deputies disengaged, he fled southbound on Antelope Trail in the Happy Valley area and disappeared. 

In May 2022, McGarry was arrested during a standoff on Liberty Street in Kalispell, for which he received a three-year sentence with the Department of Corrections on a felony theft conviction. 

He also has a 2020 criminal endangerment conviction which stemmed from an incident where he allegedly used a Taser on the mother of his children who lived in Columbia Falls at the time. 

Whitefish Police Department and the Montana Highway Patrol assisted in the Dec. 3 pursuit. Additional charges related to the incident will be forwarded to the Flathead County Attorney’s Office for review, a Flathead County Sheriff’s Office news release states.