The name of the man arrested following a three-county car chase Sunday has been released by area law enforcement.
According to Vernon County Sheriff John Spears, Mark Alan Smith, 50, of La Crosse, was booked into the La Crosse County Jail but will also face additional charges in Vernon and Crawford Counties.
The chase began following a call to a home on State Street in La Crosse. Smith, the driver and lone occupant of a black Ford Expedition, told law enforcement he was suicidal and repeatedly told officers “I want to kill myself.”
The pursuit, mainly on State Highway 35, entered Vernon County and eventually Crawford County, before it ended with Smith’s arrest just south of De Soto. Pursuing officers from all three counties, reported speeds of 70 to 80 mph. Allamakee County, Iowa, was also notified of the pursuit, in case Smith had attempted to enter Iowa.