Felony DUI Charges Filed In December Casper Mountain Crash
Felony DUI charges related to a crash on Casper Mountain were recently filed in Natrona County District Court this week.
According to the filings, Ian M. Petkosh waived a preliminary hearing in Natrona County Circuit Court last week on a single charge of DUI with serious bodily injury.
If convicted, Petkosh could face up to seven years behind bars, $10,000 in fines or both.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, dispatchers received a report of a crash on Casper Mountain at roughly 8 p.m. December 16. When responders arrived, they found a blue 2013 GMC Sierra pinned between two trees down an embankment.
According to the affidavit, troopers could hear Petkosh's passenger screaming for help, but could only see his hand due to the extent of the pickup's damage.
Petkosh, who made it out of the vehicle, was "visibly shaken up" and "did not know what happened." A state trooper also writes in the affidavit that Petkosh's movements were loose as if he were "going to pass out."
The affidavit states Petkosh told investigators that he was driving at roughly 20-25 mph at the time of the crash. He also told authorities that he was coming from the bar, court documents state. Petkosh also allegedly told investigators that he "might not be able to drive, but was better off than (the passenger).
Asked how drunk he was on a scale of 1 to 10, Petkosh allegedly said he was at a 4.
Court documents state that the passenger said he and Petkosh were at a Casper bar before the crash and he did not remember anything from the events other than being trapped in the truck.
According to the affidavit, Petkosh later told investigators that he and his passenger met up at their residence around noon the day of the crash. From there, they went to a bar in Casper for an unspecified amount of time. Court documents further state that Petkosh told authorities his passenger was driving the vehicle but nearly ran off the road multiple times, so they swapped seats.
The affidavit states a woman who lived within 500 feet of the crash described hearing a thump. The woman told authorities that she heard a man screaming and one man saying "I love you" and "I'm sorry." The woman then let the man on her porch and asked him to sit down. The woman also told authorities she thought she remembered the man's name being Ian.
Court documents state the passenger suffered multiple fractures in his leg.
Petkosh has not had an opportunity to enter pleas to the charges.