MISSOULA – A 23-year-old man has appeared in court on charges stemming from a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist on U.S. Highway 83 near Seeley Lake.
Cody Bartlett of Seeley Lake appeared in Justice Court on Tuesday to face felony charges of evidence tampering and leaving the scene of the June 25 accident that killed 18-year-old Rodney “Jake” Loudon, also of Seeley Lake. Bartlett also faces misdemeanor charges of careless driving, failure to quickly notify authorities and obstructing a peace officer.
Prosecutors say he told authorities the day Loudon’s body was found that he had been driving the previous night and was fiddling with his radio when he hit what he thought was a deer. He told investigators he didn’t stop, but continued to his father’s house.
But search warrants identify items from the scene that were in Bartlett’s possession, including the victim’s shoes. Court records say Bartlett was drinking before the accident.