A 44-year-old man was charged with three felonies in Yellowstone County District Court for allegedly fleeing a suspected DUI stop and running over a motorcyclist in south Billings Tuesday.
Patrick Lee Schroeder was charged with attempted deliberate homicide and two counts of criminal endangerment Wednesday. He also faces two misdemeanors: driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and fleeing a peace officer.
Court documents filed by Yellowstone County Deputy Attorney April Hoell stated that dispatchers placed a grey Honda had fled Billings police attempting a DUI stop and was traveling on Blue Creek Road.
Two Montana Highway Patrol troopers responded and found the suspect vehicle partially parked in the driving lane near mile marker 8. As one trooper pulled behind the vehicle, the Honda took off and flipped a U-turn, heading north on Blue Creek Road, according to court documents. The trooper pursued.
The Honda accelerated to speeds up to 80 miles per hour during the pursuit, according to court documents. At one point, an occupant in the vehicle threw a guitar outside at the trooper. Then, the vehicle passed two vehicles in a no-pass zone at 90 miles per hour and drove directly at another oncoming vehicle, forcing the driver to swerve quickly to avoid a collision.
A Yellowstone County deputy laid down a spike strip at the Briarwood subdivision, and the vehicle turned quickly to avoid it, heading east on Briarwood Boulevard. The driver hit the end of the road, avoided a pursuing deputy, turned around in a field, then headed west on the road.
A motorcyclist in the neighborhood tried to pull over away from the pursuit, but the driver of the Honda allegedly aimed for the motorcycle and rear-ended it, driving over the motorcycle and rider.
The rider, a 66-year-old man, suffered head injuries and lost part of his thumb.
The Honda later turned onto Hillcrest Road and into a gravel pit. Law enforcement was able to set up a perimeter to contain the vehicle, which was driving through a field to escape. The vehicle eventually stopped, and the driver tried to flee on foot, stripping off his clothes as he ran.
The driver was eventually caught and identified as Schroeder, according to court documents. Law enforcement noted he had bloodshot, glassy eyes, and he allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana before the incident.
He refused blood samples and field sobriety testing.
Schroeder is scheduled to make his first court appearance Thursday.
