Motorist charged for allegedly drunken Kalispell wreck that left passenger injured
Toly Pavlovich Abramchuk. (Photo courtesy the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)
An 18-year-old is facing multiple charges in Flathead County District Court for wrecking his BMW in North Kalispell while allegedly drunk earlier this month, leaving a passenger hospitalized.
Prosecutors brought Toly Pavlovich Abramchuk up on a felony charge of criminal endangerment and a misdemeanor count of aggravated driving under the influence, first offense, following the March 15 rollover at a shopping plaza. Abramchuk, who remains in the county jail with bail set at $100,000, is expected to appear before Judge Heidi Ulbricht on April 2 for his arraignment.
Arriving Kalispell Police officers found a silver BMW sedan on its roof with an unresponsive male laying on the ground nearby, according to court documents. A boulder had been moved from a nearby planter, leading investigators to believe the BMW struck the rock before rolling over, court documents said.
A witness told investigators that Abramchuk ran a stop sign before crashing the car. She said that passersby pulled his passenger out of the wrecked vehicle.
Abramchuk admitted being behind the wheel and said that he was driving too fast when he hit a corner, court documents alleged. He allegedly said he was going about 70 mph and was testing the brakes.
Abramchuk gave off the odor of an alcoholic beverage during the conversation, court documents said. He allegedly showed signs of impairment during subsequent field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath sample but his breath alcohol content at 0.219, according to court documents.
A second sample provided at the Kalispell Police Department allegedly returned at 0.19.
Investigators had hoped to interview Abramchuk's passenger, who was taken to Logan Health Medical Center for treatment, but later learned that he was intubated, according to court documents.
If convicted of criminal endangerment, Abramchuk faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.