Trucker drives wrong way down Interstate 90

A Wild Bohemian Carries truck driver faces three felony endangerment charges for driving his semitrailer in the wrong lane of Interstate 90 Halloween night, making on-coming traffic narrowly swerve out of the way. 

Darrell Wade Shepherd, 48, appeared in Missoula County Justice Court Wednesday where Justice of the Peace Karen Orzech charged Shepard and set his bail at $150,000.  Shepherd is not allowed allowed to drive for any reason.

According to the charging documents:

Shepherd was seen by Michelle Hahn at the Cyr exit, (mile marker 70) Monday night.  Hahn told Shepherd diesel was spewing out of his semitrailer.  In response, Shepherd yelled that people where chasing him and he took off on to Interstate 90, traveling the wrong direction at high speed.  Hahn said the semitrailer would have struck her vehicle if it had not gotten out of the way.

With Shepherd off the Cyr exit heading eastboud in the westbound lane, Highway Patrol trooper Andrew Novak was traveling toward Shepherd by exit 96 when he got the call.  Trooper Novak cautiously continued down the interstate with his lights flashing.

At mile post 84.5, trooper Novak saw the semitrailer and pulled into the median.  As the semitrailer approached, Novak yelled "stop".  Finally Shepherd complied and Novak came to the semitrailer with a pistol drawn and a flashlight.

Shepherd kept yelling "I don't want to die" when Novak approached.  Novak described Shepherd by saying, "The driver's muscle tone was extremely rigid.  His eyes were bloodshot.  His breath was halitosis. Large beads of sweat were standing out on his head.  His breathing was very fast.  There was a line of dried saliva around his mouth.  His "Denver Broncos" sweater was soaked with sweat."

While Novak had Shepherd pulled over, a citizen, William Stuart, blocked the semi's path with his pickup truck.  Stuart had been traveling eastbound alongside the semi before crossing the median to block it's path. 

Stuart said he noticed an 18 wheeler (semi) on the wrong side of the freeway heading eastbound into on-coming vehicles.  "I continued to stay in front of him blinking my headlights at the oncoming vehicles."

When Novak questioned Shepherd, Shepherd made several mentions of someone slipping him something in a recent drink.  Novak then requested backup and took Shepherd to St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula.

While ridding in the patrol car, Shepherd thought he saw a person on the computer dispatch screen.  "Who that guy.. that just appeared on the screen?" he asked.  There was no person imaged.  Shepherd then asked the car window "who's there?"  Shepherd's speech was very loud, incoherent and confused.

Novak said his training and experience indicated Shepherd was hallucinating. 

At St. Patrick's, Shepherd's blood was taken and toxicology tests are being done.  No results have been found yet, which may explain Shepherd's savage behavior.

Along with Hahn's complaint filed from the incident at the Cyr exit, two other parties filed complaints, which gives Shepherd the three counts of criminal endangerment. 

Kent Brown barely missed the oncoming semitrailer Monday night.  Brown said he saw headlights coming toward him but it took time to realize they were on his side of the highway. 

Similarly, Sara Joerger and her husband were driving in the outer lane by the Petty Creek exit when the semitrailer went flying by.  Joerger said the semitrailer was traveling about 65 to 70 miles per hour.  If Joerger was traveling in the inner lane, she would not have been able to get out of the way in time. 

Each count of criminal endangerment against Shepherd is punishable by 10 years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine.  

Shepherd has not posted bail and remains in Missoula.