A man admitted Thursday in Flathead District Court that he drove drunk with a young child in his vehicle September 2015.

Joshua Clarke Shultes, 43, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and felony criminal endangerment as part of a plea agreement where a deferred sentence was recommended. Shultes originally had been charged with felony child criminal endangerment.

According to court documents, Shultes was stopped by law enforcement on Sept. 14, 2015, on U.S. 93 in Kalispell after someone called concerned that a man appeared to be driving drunk with a young child in the vehicle.

Shultes performed poorly on field sobriety tests and a 3-year-old child was found in the back seat. A blood sample indicated Shultes had a .10 blood alcohol concentration, higher than the .08 legal limit.

Shultes told Judge David Ortley that he thought he was OK to drive, but that the review of an evidence has since changed his mind.

“In hindsight I think it was poor judgment on my part,” Shultes said.

Sentencing was set for July 14.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].