BOZEMAN — A Bozeman man is facing charges after allegedly driving the wrong way on Interstate 90 in a stolen vehicle while intoxicated early Thursday morning, July 18, 2024.
Charging documents say 24-year-old Micheal Edward Clearwater was arrested near Logan after driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-90 around 2 a.m. on Thursday.
A Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputy reported he was assigned to a reckless driving complaint at mile marker 278 near Three Forks. Another deputy was staged at mile marker 284 and was able to stop the vehicle, a 2018 Ford Ecosport, using stop sticks.
According to charging documents, Clearwater was identified as the driver and detained at the scene. Clearwater allegedly “made an excited utterance that the vehicle he was driving was not his,” the reporting deputy stated.
The deputy said he made phone contact with the registered owners of the vehicle who confirmed it was missing from where it had been parked near Main Street in Three Forks.
Neither of the two registered owners said they knew Clearwater, according to charging documents.
Clearwater allegedly displayed “multiple indicators of impairment,” according to the reporting deputy, and he was arrested on four counts of criminal endangerment and one count of driving under the influence.
Charging documents say the deputy spoke to Clearwater at the Gallatin County Detention Center and informed him of his Miranda rights. Clearwater reportedly invoked his rights and did not give a statement.
Clearwater additionally faces a felony charge of motor vehicle theft. He was due to appear in Gallatin County Justice Court on Thursday but was reportedly still too intoxicated.
