High-Speed Chase Ends in Smiley Township Rollover
Smiley Township, Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) — A high-speed pursuit ended in a rollover crash Tuesday night.
The pursuit began farther south and moved north on U.S. Highway 59, according to scanner traffic.
The white Ford Taurus was reportedly stolen from a gas station after keys were left inside.
Scanner traffic indicated speeds reached about 150 mph during parts of the pursuit.
The same traffic reported the vehicle passed through Waubun at about 124 mph.
Those speed reports have not been confirmed in the official State Patrol crash report.
Pursuit Ends in Pennington County
The pursuit later moved into Pennington County, where local deputies joined the response.
The Minnesota State Patrol lists the crash at 9:59 p.m. Tuesday.
It happened at Highway 59 and County Road 3 in Smiley Township.
The State Patrol said the northbound Taurus failed to navigate a roundabout.
The car rolled several times before stopping on its passenger side.
The roadway was dry at the time of the crash.
The vehicle was identified as a 2016 Ford Taurus.
Driver Taken to Thief River Falls Hospital
Authorities identified the driver as Matthew Wade Sorenson, 45, of Minneapolis.
The State Patrol listed Sorenson’s injuries as non-life-threatening.
He was taken to Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center for treatment.
The crash report says Sorenson was wearing a seat belt.
The report also says alcohol was not suspected in the crash.
Pennington County authorities said Sorenson remained hospitalized Wednesday morning.
Possible Charges Under Review
The Pennington County sheriff said possible charges were being reviewed by the county attorney.
No new charges connected to the pursuit had been announced when this story was prepared.
Any charges filed in the case would remain allegations unless proven in court.
The State Patrol report does not detail the reported vehicle theft or pursuit speeds.
Those details came from scanner traffic and early information about the pursuit.
Additional information may be released by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
TRF News will update this story if formal charges or new details are released.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.
