Browning Man Sentenced to Prison in Fatal High-speed Collision on Blackfeet Indian Reservation
Douglas Dean McDonald pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release
By Maggie Dresser
A 29-year-old Browning man was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he admitted to fatally striking a motorcyclist with his vehicle while he was driving more than 100 miles per hour, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Douglas Dean McDonald pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of involuntary manslaughter before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris.
According to court documents, McDonald on the afternoon of June 9, 2024 was driving with his family at a speed of 118 miles per hour when he changed lanes and collided with a motorcyclist, killing the driver. The driver’s wife was a passenger on the motorcycle but was not seriously injured.
The motorcyclist and his wife were riding eastbound about five miles outside of Browning toward Cut Bank to see the bison herd. Seeing no bison, the couple decided to turn around. When the driver executed the U-turn, McDonald entered the westbound lane and struck the motorcycle, severing the driver’s leg and killing him at the scene.
Shortly after the crash occurred, a witness came upon the incident and reported that McDonald and his wife flagged the witness down and wanted a ride to Browning. She reported there were other individuals as the scene telling McDonald he needed to stay there, according to documents.
When law enforcement arrived, McDonald admitted to consuming Twisted Tea beverages the night before and smoking a bowl of marijuana at noon that day. His blood alcohol content was .02%.
After consenting to a blood draw, authorities drove him to the hospital. During the interaction, the law enforcement officer detected the smell of alcohol and McDonald later fled through the emergency doors and was chased down in the parking lot, records state.
According to a Montana Highway Patrol investigation that included mapping and electronic vehicle data, McDonald was driving 118 mph five seconds before the collision. Data showed the vehicle slowed to 114 mph two seconds before the collision and 99 mph one second before. The speedometer of the vehicle was frozen at 98 mph after the crash. Officials determined that if McDonald was driving the posted speed limit of 70 mph, the motorcyclist would have been able to successfully execute the U-turn.
The toxicology report indicated that in addition to alcohol and marijuana, McDonald had fentanyl, methamphetamine, norfentanyl, amphetamine and gabapentin in his system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Highway Patrol.