Fast driver pleads guilty

The Daily Inter Lake

A Kalispell man has been convicted of leading law-enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit northwest of Kalispell before crashing his car at the intersection of Bald Rock Road and Rhodes Draw.

Jeremy Dante Howard, 27, pleaded guilty to felony criminal endangerment during a hearing Thursday in Flathead County District Court.

In exchange for Howard's plea, prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges of eluding a police officer, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and driving without insurance.

He is expected to receive a probationary sentence.

According to court documents, Montana Highway Patrol troopers responded to Farm To Market Road on Feb. 18 to investigate reports of two cars racing.

When a trooper neared the scene, one of the vehicles - a light-colored Mitsubishi with California plates - raced past West Valley School at speeds reaching more than 100 mph.

The trooper, unable to match the fleeing car's speed, lost the suspect near the Ray Kuhns Wildlife Management Area.

Law officers later found the car westbound on Church Drive, but the driver - later identified as Howard - again fled, but this time at speeds greater than 140 mph.

Officers pursued the vehicle from Church Drive southbound onto Bald Rock Road, where Howard lost control and rolled the car at the Rhodes Draw intersection.

Howard suffered minor injuries in the crash. His passenger was not injured.