BILLINGS — A late-night crash in the Billings Heights has renewed concerns from residents who say reckless driving is becoming a growing problem in their neighborhood.
The crash happened Saturday night around 9 p.m. near Clevenger Park, where a vehicle struck a parked pickup truck along Bench Boulevard, according to neighbors.
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Shawn Mus, who has lived on the street for nearly 20 years, said the once-quiet road has become increasingly busy and dangerous.
"People take Bench because there's no lights on it, and people do fly on this road, especially a lot of motorcycles," said Mus. "Everybody's in a hurry.”
Mus said he witnessed the aftermath of the crash just doors down from his home.
“I saw cars running over, and somebody said, ‘call 911,’ and I heard babies crying,” he said. “They had three ambulances out here, about four or five cops. It was about a two-hour ordeal.”
Rowan Porterie said she heard the crash from inside her home and soon realized the damaged truck belonged to her boyfriend, Aaron Parker.
“It is pretty scary to come out to. We were just watching TV, and we just hear a really, really loud crash," said Porterie. “It is pretty wild. We weren't expecting that at all."
Porterie and Parker said they were told the driver may have been distracted before veering into the parked vehicle. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the crash. MTN News has reached out to Billings police for additional details.
"What we had heard is that she was driving this way, and my boyfriend's car was just parked on the side of the road. She was looking back at something and swerved and hit his car," said Porterie.
No injuries were reported, but the truck sustained heavy damage.
"Thank goodness everybody was okay," said Porterie. "It was his grandfather's car, actually, his grandfather's truck, and he had passed away, and so we think the truck is totaled because it is going to cost quite a bit of money just to repair it.”
For Mus, the crash is part of a broader pattern. He said his own pickup truck was hit in front of his home several years ago by a driver he claims did not have insurance and had expired plates and a license.
Mus said he has seen multiple crashes along Bench Boulevard this year alone and believes speeding is a daily issue.
"I've seen people get pulled over up and down this street," he said. "People do 45, 50. I wish they'd put a speed limit sign up here to show the people your speed.”
He added that reckless driving is not limited to one street.
"It's all roads in Billings. Everybody goes over 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Everybody runs red lights,” said Mus.
Both Mus and Porterie said they hope the crash serves as a wake-up call for drivers to slow down and pay attention.
“Not drinking and driving, not being distracted either,” Porterie said.
“I think there should be more training,” Mus added. “Let’s put some money into safety.”
