MISSOULA — A western Montana man is charged with felony criminal endangerment for reportedly nearly hitting a Montana National Guard member with his pickup truck as he drove through a wildfire checkpoint.
The Missoulian reports 73-year-old Stuart Collin Stone of Seeley Lake made an initial appearance in Missoula County Justice Court on Wednesday and was released without bond.
Court records say the soldier manning a checkpoint near Seeley Lake told Stone on Tuesday that he could not return to his property because it was under an evacuation order. The guardsman said Stone became angry and drove toward him, forcing him to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.
A deputy arrested Stone at a nearby residence. Court records say he acknowledged driving through the roadblock, but denied nearly hitting the Guard member.