Prosecutors say that the suspect in an alleged alcohol-fueled collision in Kalispell in early August was warned against drinking and driving by police officers an hour before the crash.

Kyle Anthony Maki, 36, faces a slew of charges in Flathead County District Court in connection with the Aug. 2 wreck, including felony driving under the influence, fifth offense, and felony criminal mischief. He pleaded not guilty before Judge Dan Wilson on Aug. 20.  

Kalispell Police officers arrived at the scene of a hit-and-run collision on East Nevada Street about 11:40 p.m., according to court documents. The force of the crash had sent a parked and unoccupied Ford F150 "some distance" from its original spot. Both the truck and a nearby curb were heavily damaged, court documents said.  

From the debris generated by the wreck, investigators surmised that the fleeing vehicle was also badly damaged. Its front bumper, including a license plate, remained at the scene, court documents said.  

Using the license plate information, authorities linked the vehicle to Maki, who lives in a North Meridian Road apartment complex, according to court documents.  

Hearing about the crash on the radio, another officer headed to Maki's home address. The officer had visited the apartment complex about an hour before the wreck for a disturbance involving Maki, court documents said.  

He recalled Maki being "heavily intoxicated, slurring and stumbling" during that conversation, according to court documents. Maki had mentioned a bottle he intended to drink that night and brought up his previous driving under the influence convictions, the officer reported.  

Maki also had asked whether he was under investigation for drunk driving, according to court documents. The officer informed him that he was not, as he was not operating a vehicle at that time, but warned him against getting behind the wheel.  

Maki, the officer recalled, assured him that he would not drive that night.  

Returning to the apartment complex after the crash, the officer found Maki's vehicle — which boasted heavy front-end damage — in the parking lot with Maki still in the front seat, court documents said.  

Maki exited the vehicle as ordered and underwent a body search, which turned up the keys to the vehicle and a glass pipe suspected of being used for smoking marijuana, court documents said. Maki underwent field sobriety tests at the Police Department, which indicated signs of impairment. He provided a breath sample, which returned at 0.156.  

Both driving under the influence, fifth offense, and criminal mischief come with a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine. An omnibus hearing in Maki's case is scheduled for Sept. 9, with a pretrial conference to follow on Nov. 10. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.