UPDATED Monday, August 18 --- 4:25pm

From the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:

On August 17, 2008, at 8:01pm, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a gas drive off that occurred at a convenience store located on STH 16 in the Village of Rio. A Sheriff’s Deputy responding to the call met an oncoming vehicle that matched the description of the suspect vehicle involved in the gas drive off. The suspect vehicle, a 1976 Ford Ranchero, had a 4-wheel ATV in the bed of the pick up truck.

The Sheriff’s Deputy pursued after the suspect vehicle through the City of Portage and west on STH 16 towards Wisconsin Dells. The suspect vehicle was traveling at 90 mph in a 35 mph zone in the City of Portage. The suspect vehicle made a series of turns onto town roads leading back to STH 127 towards the City of Portage. While the suspect vehicle was traveling on rough roads at speeds around 100 mph the ATV that was in the bed of the pick up truck became airborne and bounced over the top of one of the Sheriff’s patrol cars. The Portage Police Department deployed tire deflation devices (road spikes) on STH 127 near Columbia Correctional Institution. The suspect vehicle then drove the wrong way on the off ramp from I-39 to STH 16. The suspect vehicle narrowly missed a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer unit. A Sheriff’s Deputy executed a Pursuit Intervention Technique which is commonly known as PIT maneuver. This caused the suspect vehicle to spin off of the roadway and into the ditch. At that time the suspect exited his vehicle and fled on foot. A grounds search was conducted in the Portage Industrial Park by Columbia Correctional Institution. Law enforcement was unable to locate the suspect at that time.

This pursuit covered 35.5 miles and lasted over 27 minutes long.

On August 18, 2008, at 6:37am, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a construction pick up truck that was traveling west on STH 16 at Lewiston Station Road at a speed of 89 mph. The pick up truck was stolen from a construction site in the City of Portage just shortly before the high speed pursuit began. The suspect vehicle attempted to turn north onto New Haven Road however the vehicle entered the ditch and overturned. The driver crawled out of the overturned vehicle and fled on foot. A perimeter was immediately established to contain the suspect. A Sheriff’s Deputy and his K-9 partner were able to track the suspect who was found hiding in some heavy foliage. The suspect received minor injuries as a result of the apprehension by the K-9. The suspect continued to resist apprehension and was subdued by the deployment of a Taser. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Divine Savior Hospital. The suspect was treated and has been incarcerated at the Columbia County Jail.

The suspect has been identified as ANDREW GRAY SWITZER, age 17, of Bloomington, IN. SWITZER was listed as a wanted person out of Monroe County, Indiana.

SWITZER will tentatively make his initial appearance in Columbia County on Tuesday. Switzer is presently being held in the Columbia County Jail on various felony charges related to the high speed chase, operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent, no valid driver’s license, and various traffic violations. Additional theft charges are being investigated.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Portage Police Department, the Portage Fire Department, the Wisconsin Dells Police Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Dells-Delton Ambulance Service.

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Monday, August 18, 2008 --- 8:20 a.m.

Columbia County Sheriff's officials are searching for a man after he ran from a high speed chase.

The chase happened last night near Portage and Highway 16 and I-39.

The suspect fled on foot after the chase.

The sheriff's department says the chase started after a gas drive off.