A Bismarck man who drove the wrong way on U.S. Highway 83 and crashed into a state trooper in north Bismarck was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday.
Steven Kessel also received three years of supervised probation following his release after he pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular injury and driving on a suspended license.
"He has a problem," Assistant Burleigh County State's Attorney Robert Togni said. "He's been playing with fire for a while now."
As conditions of Kessler's sentence and probation, he will be required to submit to a chemical dependency evaluation and undergo recommended treatment while incarcerated. Upon his release, Kessler will be subject to a court-ordered sobriety monitoring program for two years.
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The scene of a March 10 crash in north Bismarck involving a North Dakota Highway Patrol SUV and a wrong-way driver on U.S. Highway 83.
Togni recommended the sentence imposed by South Central District Judge David Reich, calling the proposal -- which was agreed to by defense attorney Shelly Thompson -- as "more than reasonable." Under the recommendation, Kessler will receive credit for 110 days already served in the Burleigh Morton Detention Center.
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Kessel was charged following an incident that happened soon after 3 a.m. Sunday, March 10. Kessel was seen driving southbound in the northbound lanes of U.S. 83 on Bismarck's north side, according to an affidavit.
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The North Dakota Highway Patrol said a wrong-way driver in north Bismarck collided head-on with a trooper's SUV on March 10.
North Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper William Brown was parked in the center median. After observing the vehicle driven by Kessler, he activated his emergency lights and pulled onto the roadway to initiate a traffic stop, according to an affidavit.
Kessler's vehicle struck Brown's patrol car head-on, the affidavit states. Brown did not report serious injuries at the time and was not taken to a hospital.
Kessler was conscious but incoherent following the crash and had injuries that made it impossible to perform a field sobriety test at the scene, the judge said. Kessler was taken to a local hospital, where a blood test revealed his blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit of 0.08.
Potential restitution to the Highway Patrol for damages to Brown's unit will remain open for 60 days.