Driver who died in pursuit in Traill County identified

UPDATE: The North Dakota Highway Patrol identified the driver who died as 31-year-old Randy Cole and the passenger who was taken to the hospital as 24-year-old Elena Fladeland.

Both have no permanent address and weren’t wearing seat belts.

TRAILL CO., N.D. — A man is dead and a woman has unknown injuries after crashing into a semi head-on near Hillsboro during a pursuit on I-29.

Grand Forks County Sheriff’s deputies tried to stop the vehicle which was reported stolen out of Grand Forks around 11 Wednesday morning.

The chase began between Thompson and Reynolds and reached speeds of 100 miles per hour.

Traill County deputies deployed tire deflation devices but the vehicle kept going on its front rims.

The driver eventually entered a construction zone, crossed the center line and crashed into a semi pulling a trailer.

The 31-year-old male driver died at the scene while a female passenger was taken to Sanford in Fargo.

Names are expected to be released on Thursday.

The crash remains under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.