Former Stevens County Sheriff’s deputy sentenced in DUI case in Montana

May 1, 2018 Updated Tue., May 1, 2018 at 9:31 p.m.

From staff reports

A former Stevens County Sheriff’s deputy has been given a three-year deferred sentence after he drove through a crash scene and led police on a chase in Western Montana while inebriated.

Brandon Hoover, 29, was sentenced last week in Kalispell on a felony charge of criminal endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence.

Authorities said the former deputy, who resigned following the DUI charge, drove through the scene of a fatal car crash and struck a vehicle in Creston, Montana, on Thanksgiving. A Montana Highway Patrol trooper pursued Hoover at speeds exceeding 100 mph.

Hoover later surrendered, and a breathalyzer test indicated his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, according to a police report.

In court last week, Hoover, who pleaded guilty in February, said he began drinking the night of the incident after a fight with his girlfriend.

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