Kalispell Man Charged in Highway 2 Crash That Severely Injured Four Teens
Riley Richard O’Brien, 36, faces five counts of negligent vehicular assault and one count of criminal endangerment in the Sept. 19 crash
By Maggie Dresser
A 36-year-old Kalispell man who allegedly was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he swerved his pickup truck into an SUV carrying five teenagers last month has been charged with four felony counts of negligent vehicular assault and one felony count of criminal endangerment. Four of the teens were severely injured.
Riley Richard O’Brien was booked into the Flathead County Detention Center last week, with bond set at $1 million. He also faces a misdemeanor count of negligent vehicular assault. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 3 before Flathead District Court Judge Dan Wilson.
According to charging documents filed Oct. 21 by Deputy Flathead County Attorney Ashley Johnson, law enforcement responded to a crash on U.S. Highway 2 near Meadowlark Drive in Evergreen at approximately 11:51 p.m. Sept. 19.
As first responders arrived, they requested mutual aid from multiple departments because of the number of victims and the severity of some injuries. Dispatch upgraded the call to a potential mass-casualty incident.
A Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) trooper arrived to find a white SUV upright on the southwest intersection curb, with multiple occupants inside. A pickup truck was about 175 feet north of the SUV, on its roof.
Law enforcement helped emergency personnel remove the SUV’s occupants, who included four girls ages 14 to 17 and an 18-year-old male, according to the documents.
A Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputy made contact with the pickup’s driver, identified as O’Brien, who showed signs of impairment. Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans were visible in the truck.
Asked by another officer what happened, O’Brien said “I … crossed lanes I think. I’m not sure.” He said he was driving home to Kalispell from the VFW, also in Kalispell. Authorities noted his normal route would likely not have taken him to Evergreen.
The officer also noted that O’Brien did not show concern for the occupants of the SUV he hit.
A motorist who saw the crash told authorities she was driving west on U.S. Highway 2 when the pickup swerved into the center turn lane, forcing her to swerve into the outer lane to avoid a collision.
O’Brien was taken to Logan Health in Whitefish, where he consented to a preliminary breath test at 1:25 a.m. It showed a blood alcohol content of .183. He then consented to a blood draw at 1:34 a.m., and the sample was sent to the Montana State Crime Lab.
O’Brien told investigators he drank about seven beers that night, starting at 6 p.m. Surveillance footage confirmed he was at the VFW earlier in the evening.
Evergreen Fire Department footage captured the crash and the moments leading up to it. In the video, the witness is in the inside lane as O’Brien’s pickup travels east in the center turn lane at an estimated 58 mph, above the posted speed limit. The truck then moves into the inner westbound lane as the witness pulls away to avoid a crash.
The white SUV’s headlights then appear in the inner westbound lane. The SUV swerves right as the driver unsuccessfully tries to avoid O’Brien’s truck.
Blood test results showed O’Brien’s concentration level was 240 mg/dL, or about .24, and a urinalysis was positive for illegal narcotics.
At Logan Health, the 18-year-old male was diagnosed with a concussion and abrasions to his left hand. The 16-year-old girl had multiple fractures to her face and spine, as well as fractures to the base of her skull, her right mandible and her pubic bone.
One of the 17-year-old girls shattered her sixth thoracic vertebra and underwent spinal surgery in which multiple screws were inserted. She also had a large head laceration requiring more than 10 staples. The other 17-year-old girl suffered a complex pelvic fracture, a proximal humerus fracture and lacerations to her spleen and kidney.
The 14-year-old girl remains hospitalized with the most extreme injuries, according to a GoFundMe page. They include a severe injury to her left hand, a Grade 2 splenic laceration and fractures to her pelvis and spine. Doctors have performed multiple brain surgeries, with more planned. Other operations removed dead tissue and repaired damaged bowel. She also broke multiple ribs, one of which lacerated her right lung, and was on a ventilator and other breathing machines for weeks.