News you can use
News you can use
A Havre man faces a felony and two misdemeanor charges stemming from a crash which sent five people to the hospital.
The Toyota 4-Runner driven by Kade Thomas Barsotti, born in 1993, with six passengers crashed about midnight July 4 near the dam at Fresno Reservoir, the charging documents say.
The Hill County attorney charged Barsotti with a felony count of criminal endangerment and two misdemeanors: negligent vehicular assault and driving under the influence of intoxicants, first offense.
Barsotti’s arraignment is scheduled for next Monday.
The Havre Daily News was not able to obtain additional information about the crash at the time it occurred.
When the Montana Highway Patrol troopers arrived to investigate the crash shortly after midnight, several Hill County sheriff’s deputies and two ambulances already were at the scene, the documents say. Of the seven people who had been in the vehicle, emergency personnel were loading five, including Barsotti, into the ambulances for transportation to the hospital.
A trooper saw numerous beer and Twisted Tea cans scattered around the crash site.
Witnesses who helped extract Barsotti from the vehicle said the 4-Runner came to rest on its top, and they had rolled it over onto its driver’s side to be able to extract him.
The two passengers who were not taken to the hospital told the trooper that Barsotti was driving too fast for the roads, 40-45 mph, and that they and others in the vehicle kept telling him to slow down.
The witnesses said the vehicle was headed westbound and started drifting on a right-hand curve when Barsotti overcorrected and drove off to the left, then overcorrected to the right, causing the vehicle to roll 1 ½ times before coming to rest on its top.
The trooper then interviewed Barsotti and the other passengers in the hospital, the document said.
Barsotti told the trooper he couldn’t remember anything about the crash, and at 3:35 a.m. refused to provide a blood sample to determine his blood alcohol concentration.
The other passengers also said, as the first two passengers had, that Barsotti had been drinking and that the passengers told him several times before the crash to slow down, with one passenger telling the trooper that Barsotti had been sliding, or drifting, around the corners on purpose, the documents say.
Reader Comments(4)
PFB writes:
Hopefully we all will think twice about getting into a car with someone who is drinking, but, was anyone sober? Luckily no one else was hurt except Kade, not sure that is true that anyone else went to the hospital. I cannot understand why they are being so harsh on Kade. He was wrong but this seems over the top. The Barsotti's are a good family and do not deserve this.
08/22/2013, 7:41 am
GDW writes:
This is a great lesson for the dangers of drinking and driving. However this should not be an opportunity for DA to make a harsh example. A felony is excessive, and could stop this young man from accomplishing great things. Barsotti is a great kid and comes from a wonderful family. I pray that Barsotti receives intelligent well thought out justice.
08/15/2013, 11:08 am
Willy writes:
And he will probably do more time than the Fitzpatrick sisters. More BS.
08/12/2013, 10:33 am
HavreMom writes:
Another example why people should not get in a vehicle with someone who has been drinking and intends to drive. If they were at a party and Barsotti wanted to drive and they couldn't get his keys from him, let him go, but don't go with him. Luckily, no one was killed in the accident.
08/12/2013, 10:09 am