BILLINGS- A 59-year-old man was charged Friday with two felonies for allegedly stealing a truck in Lockwood, then fleeing law enforcement in the vehicle and on foot before he was arrested in Billings.
Duaine Hubert Hill was charged in Yellowstone County Justice Court with criminal endangerment and theft, both felonies, and two misdemeanors for driving under the influence and fleeing a peace officer.
He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the most serious offense.
Prosecutors outlined the alleged incident in charging documents:
Yellowstone County sheriff’s deputies received a call around 10 a.m. Thursday of a stolen blue Ford Ranger from the Flying J truck stop in Lockwood.
A deputy spotted the vehicle heading west on Interstate 90 and began pursuit with lights on. The driver didn’t stop but instead tried to exit using the off-ramp on South 27th Street. He tried to pass a semi-trailer on the left but couldn’t and was trapped on the ramp by the deputy, who drew his gun and told the driver to stop.
The driver, later identified as Hill, jumped out of the car, over a guardrail on South 27th Street and down an embankment. The deputy ran after him and caught him at the other side of the guardrail. The deputy said he smelled alcohol on his breath, and the man indicated possible impairment during a field sobriety test.
Deputies took a blood sample after obtaining a warrant and are awaiting results.
Hill has a previous DUI conviction from 2011. He is being held in Yellowstone County jail.
