KALISPELL — A Kalispell man is facing multiple felony charges after a crash on a Flathead County highway left four teenage girls in critical condition.
Riley O'Brien has been charged with five counts of vehicular assault and one count of criminal endangerment following the collision, according to charging documents. Four of the five assault charges are felonies, and one is a misdemeanor.
Court documents state that just before midnight on Sept. 16, law enforcement responded to dispatch for a potential mass casualty event on Highway 2 near Meadowlark Drive.
At the scene, those documents show officers found a white SUV upright and a pickup truck on its roof. Four teenage girls and an 18-year-old man were inside the SUV.
The filing identifies O'Brien as the driver of the pickup truck. Officers noted he was showing signs of impairment, and they also observed beer cans in plain view.
According to the filing, O'Brien told officers he was driving home from the Kalispell VFW. Officers also noted that O'Brien never appeared concerned about the occupants of the other vehicle.
The charging documents also include an eyewitness account. She saw O'Brien's pickup truck swerving into the center lane and had to swerve herself to avoid being hit. She then watched as the white SUV behind her attempted to swerve, but O'Brien's truck hit it.
According to the filing, O'Brien consented to a breath test. His blood alcohol content registered at 0.183. A subsequent blood test showed his BAC had risen to 0.240, triple the legal limit. His urine also tested positive for illegal narcotics.
Those same records show the 18-year-old man suffered a hand laceration and a concussion, while the four teenage girls suffered injuries including spinal fractures and brain injuries, among others. They remain in treatment.
A community fundraiser is being held in Columbia Falls for the victims on Oct. 24. To learn more, click here.
O'Brien is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 3 at 9 a.m.
Related: Hanson's Hardware fundraises for teenagers critically injured in Evergreen collision
