Bigfork man pleads guilty in bus crash
Megan Strickland
The driver of a truck that rear-ended a Polson bus crash was driving drunk at the time of the crash.
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POLSON – A man who crashed into a Polson school bus on May 11 while drunk may face some jail time and fines.
Daniel George Fellows, 19, of Bigfork, pleaded guilty before Judge James Manley to two felony counts of criminal endangerment and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, first offense.
The change of plea resulted from a plea agreement, in which prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to recommend that Fellows sentencing be deferred for six years for the two felony cases. For the misdemeanor charge it is recommended Fellows faces six months in Lake County Jail, all suspended but 10 days. Sentences may run concurrently. He may also face a $1,000 fine with all but $400 suspended. He may have to watch a video called “Enduring Regret” within 30 days of sentencing.
It is also recommended that he be ordered to pay various court costs, including $300 for the cost of the county attorney, and a $50 victim witness surcharge.
The judge is not bound to follow the plea agreement at sentencing on Wednesday, July 22.
According to court documents, at 3:37 and 3:38 p.m. the day of the crash emergency dispatch received two separate calls about a reckless driver matching the description of Fellows’ vehicle on Highway 93. The first caller reported that the reckless vehicle had pushed a semi off the road into the gravel. The second caller reported that the reckless driver passed in a no passing zone.
Minutes later, it was reported that Fellows had rear-ended a Polson school bus carrying 11 people on Highway 35, just north of Fulkerson Corner. It is believed Fellows was going 80 miles per hour at the time of the crash. The impact pushed the stopped bus 10 to 15 feet and tossed a small girl who was exiting the bus. She and two others sustained minor injuries.
In the course of the investigation, officers heard from a witness who said Fellows also passed another stopped school bus with lights flashing a few minutes earlier on Highway 35.
A preliminary breath test indicated that Fellows’ blood alcohol concentration was .122. The legal limit is .08. He told investigators that he did not remember passing the first bus or hitting the second.
