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Gerald Irwin, Parshall, charged with ramming other cars, causing accidents while drunk, spitting at EMT

Gerald Lonnes Irwin, 67, Parshall is charged with driving while drunk, ramming multiple vehicles and causing a multi-vehicle accident with multiple injuries on Jan. 26. Irwin also allegedly was belligerent when Ward County deputies tried to remove him from his vehicle and kicked, punched, and spit at them and also spit at a Garrison ambulance EMT who was transporting him to the hospital. The road conditions were slippery and icy at the time.

Irwin is charged in district court in Minot with Class C felony reckless endangerment, Class C felony contact by bodily fluids, Class A misdemeanor aggravated reckless driving, and Class B misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. Irwin has a prior DUI conviction.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the court, authorities received a report that a gray Honda SUV was trying to run another vehicle off the road at mile marker 101 on Highway 23 West. Ward County deputies responded. A second call came in from a woman. She said that the Honda SUV had struck the vehicle she was in four times. She then gave an update and said the Honda SUV had struck the vehicle she was in eight times. The woman told authorities that her vehicle had tried to move over into the passing lane and the gray Honda SUV continued to stay behind them in the passing lane. The woman updated authorities a third time and said the Honda SUV had struck another vehicle in front of them. She provided a fifth update that there was a truck in the ditch at Highway 23 West mile marker 89. A second woman then called and reported that the Honda SUV with a male driver had rear-ended her and other vehicles before striking another vehicle head on, rolling one Chevrolet into the ditch, and knocking a blue vehicle off the roadway. The Honda SUV was in the ditch.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they saw multiple vehicles pulled off the side of the roadway facing both directions. They approached the striking vehicle, which was driven by Irwin. Both Irwin and the vehicle smelled strongly of alcohol. Irwin became belligerent and punched, kicked and spit at the deputies and had to be forcibly removed from the vehicle. When the Garrison ambulance arrived, Irwin also spit at one of the EMTs. Irwin admitted to ambulance personnel that he had been drinking at the casino in New Town prior to the incident.

Multiple people were injured during the incident and three people were taken to the hospital for treatment. One person had back pain and forearm pain, another had back and neck pain. A toddler who was a passenger in one of the cars was also taken by ambulance to the hospital to be checked out. Another man complained of pain in his hand at the scene.

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