A 25-year-old Columbia Falls man was given a 10-year suspended sentence Thursday after driving into a tree in Hungry Horse, injuring himself and his passengers.
Kyle Lingle had stopped to pick up two acquaintances of his brother before heading down River Junction Road on Dec. 4, 2011, when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree.
The front-seat passenger was ejected and landed on the hood, sustaining several skull fractures. The rear-seat passenger sustained chest injuries. Lingle had to be extricated from the vehicle with the Jaws of Life and was eventually transported by air to Seattle for hip reconstruction and treatment of head injuries.
Lingle spent some time in the intensive care unit at the Seattle hospital, and on Thursday said his injuries left him with no memory of the accident or of several hours leading up to the accident, which is why he entered an Alford plea.
Blood taken from Lingle immediately following the accident tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol — the active compound in marijuana — as well as a small amount of alcohol.
District Judge David Ortley ordered Lingle to pay a $1,000 fine in addition to his suspended sentence.
In exchange for pleading guilty to the negligent vehicular assault charge, additional charges of felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol were dismissed.