Car lands in outfield at Dehler Park.

[Billings_Griz]

Link for pics: http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/c ... =hottopics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;




Vehicle lands in Dehler Park outfield


By ZACH BENOIT Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Saturday, May 8, 2010 7:48 am

The Billings Police Department is looking for the driver of a car that crashed into the outfield of Dehler Park early Saturday morning, injuring at least three people.

Just before 12:40 a.m., Billings Police were dispatched to a crash at the baseball field, at 2611 Ninth Ave. N. They found a Buick Park Avenue sitting on its side in the left-center outfield, Sgt. Matt Brewer said in a written statement.

Emergency crews had to extricate a 23-year-old woman who was a passenger in the car. She and a 25-year-old woman passenger were taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries that appeared serious but were not life-threatening, Brewer said.

The Buick was apparently southbound on 26th Street North and did not turn at the intersection with 10th Avenue North. It jumped the south curb at the intersection, crashed through the fence at the north side of the park, went through a rail fence and dropped 10 to 15 feet onto the field.

A short time later, police found a 26-year-old male passenger at the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries from the crash.

Police believe they have identified the driver of the car, a 29-year-old man. He fled the scene of the crash but has not been tracked down. No names have been released. Everyone in the vehicle was from Lodge Grass or Crow Agency, Sgt. Jason Gartner said.

"The accident is still under investigation, but speed and alcohol appear to be major contributors in the accident," Brewer said.

Authorities were able to get the car towed off the field before 3 a.m. and the park's outer fence was put back up later in the morning. Yellow crime tape was strung across the area where the rail is missing and around the area on the field where the car crashed.

In addition to damaging the fence and rail, the crash has also caused some problems in the outfield. Gary Roller, general manager of the Billings Mustangs, said glass from the Buick's windows was scattered across the warning track around the outfield and fluids from the car have leaked into the grass.

As a result, the track will need to be carefully scraped and cleaned to clear it of any glass and a 20-square-foot section of the field will have to be replaced.

"We've had, in the last two years, a little vandalism and people breaking into the facility at night when we're not here," he said. "Those are all handled pretty easily, and something like this is a lot more serious."

City Administrator Tina Volek estimated the damage to the city-owned Dehler Park at about $20,000, but said that was just a rough guess. Early next week, an insurance adjuster will determine an exact amount with the help of Billings Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.

"That'll be determined by the insurance folks," she said. "But if (the driver) has insurance, it's the city's position that the individual's insurance covers that."

Several American Legion baseball games had to be rescheduled because of the crash, including a doubleheader between the Billings Royals and the Missoula Mavericks. One of the games was played Saturday afternoon at Pirtz Field on the West End, and the others will be played Sunday at Pirtz Field or other local little league fields.

Roller said he expects the field to be repaired in time for Legion games scheduled at the park for next weekend.

"It's unfortunate that this happened, but human life is more important than links and railings and turf," he said. "We hope they're all OK."

[AlphaGriz1]

I thinks its obvious to all of us that these people were framed.

They were probably just census workers burning the midnight oil........................................

[JDoub]

so, which one of you is the 26-yr old and which one is the 29-yr old?

I'm guessin' Girlzfootball/BillingsBoyTakesGirlzAsEnemies is 26 and AlphaDrinksMuchJohnnyWalkerPastMidnight is 29

If you guys need a good attorney, seems TampexGriz is in that line of work?

[Billings_Griz]

so, which one of you is the 26-yr old and which one is the 29-yr old?

I'm guessin' Girlzfootball/BillingsBoyTakesGirlzAsEnemies is 26 and AlphaDrinksMuchJohnnyWalkerPastMidnight is 29

If you guys need a good attorney, seems TampexGriz is in that line of work?

I see you got off work about noon yesterday and hit the bar.


I'm much older than 29...and much much older than 26. I know it may not seem like it.

[AlphaGriz1]

so, which one of you is the 26-yr old and which one is the 29-yr old?

I'm guessin' Girlzfootball/BillingsBoyTakesGirlzAsEnemies is 26 and AlphaDrinksMuchJohnnyWalkerPastMidnight is 29

If you guys need a good attorney, seems TampexGriz is in that line of work?

I seriously tried to make this my new screen name but it only lets you enter so many characters. I thought it would go nicely with my Big Gay Alpha avatar.



Girlzfootball/BillingsBoyTakesgirlsasenemies was a hell of a basketball player..............in her day.

[GOKATS]

so, which one of you is the 26-yr old and which one is the 29-yr old?

I'm guessin' Girlzfootball/BillingsBoyTakesGirlzAsEnemies is 26 and AlphaDrinksMuchJohnnyWalkerPastMidnight is 29

If you guys need a good attorney, seems TampexGriz is in that line of work?

Tampaxgriz an attorneygeek? I don't think so, some kind of computer geek I think.

[JDoub]

Tampaxgriz an attorneygeek? I don't think so, some kind of computer geek I think.

I must have my griz fans mixed up ..... shows how much I care

think then there's a griz in wa in law?





hey, i made a rhyme

[GOKATS]

Tampaxgriz an attorneygeek? I don't think so, some kind of computer geek I think.

I must have my griz fans mixed up ..... shows how much I care

think then there's a griz in wa in law?





hey, i made a rhyme

Nope, gizzinwa calls himself an economist or something. The only attorney I'm aware of is grizlaw from New York.

[AlphaGriz1]

Tampaxgriz an attorneygeek? I don't think so, some kind of computer geek I think.

I must have my griz fans mixed up ..... shows how much I care

think then there's a griz in wa in law?





hey, i made a rhyme

Griz in wa isnt really a Griz fan but he did suck Bobby Hauck off at a Holiday Inn Express last night.