BILLINGS- The man accused of crashing into a North Billings apartment building Saturday is facing felony drunken-driving charges, his fourth such offense since 1999.
Yellowstone County prosecutors said Monday that David Colin Crockett, 67, drove his vehicle into a building at 524 N. 23rd St.
He then told responding medical personnel he had drank an entire bottle of Bacardi liquor because he was upset that his girlfriend had broken his heart, according to court documents.
Witnesses said Crockett was driving north in an SUV on North 23rd Street about 1:24 p.m. when he tried to run left onto Sixth Avenue North. He kept turning left in a circle, jumped the curb of Sixth Avenue North, then hurtled over a second curb before crashing into the building.
The witness told police he saw Crockett leave the vehicle after the crash.
Crockett initially refused a ride to the hospital in an ambulance but changed his mind when he was told he’d be taken to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility, according to court documents. He told ambulance he’d had unknown strokes previously.
While on the way, Crockett allegedly attempted to flee from his cot and urinated on himself and medical staff, prosecutors said.
According to Yellowstone County authorities, Crockett was convicted for drunken-driving incidents in June 1999, October 2002 and December 2006. Crockett discharged the last conviction in July 2018, according to prosecutors.
If convicted, Crockett faces between 13 months and two years in prison, a five-year suspended sentence and up to a $10,000 fine.
He was also charged with a misdemeanor for operating a motor vehicle without insurance, which could add up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.
He is being held in jail with no bond.
