MISSOULA – Law enforcement officers in western Montana say a 16-year-old boy who was driving a stolen vehicle fled a traffic stop in Missoula, jumped into the Clark Fork River and has died.
Officials have not released the name of the boy, who is from Sanders County.
The traffic stop happened at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Officers detained three other people in the vehicle, which had been reported stolen in Washington state.
Searchers on boats and jet skis looked for the boy.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Brenda Bassett says the teen briefly got out of the water, spoke with officers and jumped back in.
He was found at about 8:50 a.m. Emergency responders administered CPR and he was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead.