Wolf Point man sentenced for 2018 ATV crash near Elmo

A man who was the driver in a 2018 ATV crash near Elmo that left his female passenger seriously injured received a three-year suspended sentence Dec. 3 in Lake County District Court.

Benedict Owen Wise Spirit of Wolf Point pleaded guilty Oct. 1 to one count of negligent vehicular assault - serious bodily injury as part of a plea agreement and was sentenced by District Court Judge Deborah Christopher.

The crash occurred July 5, 2018. According to court documents, two witnesses told a Montana Highway Patrol trooper that they saw Wise Spirit driving an ATV after consuming alcoholic beverages, and Vivian Black joined Wise Spirit on the ATV. They drove away and crashed.

Black suffered an open-skull fracture, and she was admitted to the intensive care unit at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Wise Spirit was taken to the same hospital, where his medical records indicate he had a blood-alcohol content of .237.

Wise Spirit faced up to 10 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.

One of the stipulations of his plea agreement is that he have no unwanted contact with Black.