BOZEMAN, MT – A Bozeman man was arrested early on January 23 after allegedly driving under the influence and crashing into a crew of telephone pole workers on Alaska Road.
According to court documents, the man, driving a Toyota Tundra, was heading eastbound on Alaska Road when icy conditions caused him to lose control of the vehicle near Yellowstone Harley Davidson. The truck slid off the road, striking the workers who were in the midst of repairing a nearby telephone line.
The impact knocked one of the workers into a hole, though the current condition of the individual remains unknown. Two other workers were reportedly taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) officials say the driver attempted to remove his vehicle from the scene but was stopped by responding officers. Upon speaking with the driver, MHP officers noticed signs of impairment and administered a breath test, which revealed a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .032. Though the BAC was below the legal limit of 0.08, the man reportedly displayed additional signs of impairment, leading authorities to suspect the involvement of other substances.
The driver consented to a blood test and was transported to a local hospital for a draw. Following the test, he was arrested and charged with felony DUI (Driving Under the Influence) 4th offense.
The man appeared before Gallatin County Justice Court on Friday morning, where his bail was set at $5,000.
This incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of impaired driving, especially under hazardous weather conditions. Authorities are continuing to investigate the role that drugs may have played in the crash, and further updates on the workers’ conditions are expected.
