A motorist accused of drunkenly colliding with a cyclist crossing U.S. 2 in December 2023 was ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution last summer.

Prosecutors brought Nathan Francis Gabbert, 40, of Kalispell up on a felony negligent vehicular assault charge in Flathead County District Court following the Dec. 1 collision near mile marker 122 of U.S. 2. He pleaded not guilty at his Jan. 4, 2024, arraignment but struck a deal in July of that year.

In exchange for pleading guilty to amended counts of felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor driving under the influence, first offense, prosecutors agreed to recommend Gabbert serve a deferred three-year sentence on the former charge and a suspended six-month stint in county jail on the latter charge.

Gabbert pleaded guilty by way of an Alford plea before then-Judge Robert Allison on July 2. In an Alford plea, a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges a jury likely would find them guilty.

Allison stuck to the terms of the agreement during Gabbert's Aug. 29, 2024, sentencing. He ordered the two sentences to run concurrently and gave Gabbert credit for four days of time served. While waiving court fines and fees, Allison ordered Gabbert to pay $25,000 in restitution.

Gabbert struck and injured a cyclist while driving home from an Evergreen bar without his headlights illuminated, court documents said. The cyclist, who suffered a fractured femur in the collision, told investigators that Gabbert's pickup truck appeared out of the dark suddenly.

Gabbert, who smelled of an alcoholic beverage, allegedly admitted drinking a few beers before getting behind the wheel, court documents said. He allegedly showed signs of impairment during subsequent field sobriety tests.

While Gabbert was taken to the county jail, authorities also admonished the cyclist for illegally crossing the highway, according to court documents. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].