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MANDAN, N.D. — A driver suspected of hitting and killing a pedestrian in a Mandan parking lot was arrested after crashing into a delivery truck in Bismarck.
Authorities believe 39-year-old Wade Carlton Bison of Bismarck was the driver of a pickup truck that struck and killed a 77-year-old Mandan man at about 7:25 a.m. Monday, March 21, in the parking lot of the Pepsi All Seasons Arena, next to Mandan High School.
The Mandan Police Department identified the victim Tuesday as Erwin Leon Geigle.
Later Monday morning, at about 9:30, the pickup truck driven by Bison hit a UPS truck, rolled into a ditch and crashed into a fence near the Motel 6 at 2433 State St. in Bismarck, according to authorities. Bison was taken to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.
The UPS driver was not injured, Bismarck Police Lt. Luke Gardiner said.
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Bison was driving a white Ford F-250 pickup when he crashed near the Motel 6, and he was towing a Chevrolet pickup that was reported stolen, Gardiner said.
The Ford pickup was identified as the vehicle involved in the crash near the arena, police said.
Before the fatal hit-and-run crash, Bison and the Ford pickup were seen in the parking lot of the Bismarck Police Department, Gardiner said. Police spoke with him then but were unsure why he was there, the lieutenant said.
Bison was not detained at the police station and left, Gardiner said.
Bison is expected to be charged with reckless endangerment, possession of a stolen vehicle and fleeing. He has a lengthy criminal history that includes reckless driving, theft, driving with a suspended license and drug-related charges.
He was sentenced in August to 18 months of probation and spent 12 days in jail after prosecutors charged him with theft, fleeing and driving under suspension. In that case, someone reported he stole a Chevrolet Impala on May 16 in Bismarck, according to a criminal complaint.
Bismarck police tried to pull over the Impala on May 18, but Bison allegedly fled, the complaint said.
A day later, on May 19, Bison was driving a Chevrolet Impala when an officer stopped him, Mandan police said. Bison identified himself as "Rico Havoc" before driving away, a criminal complaint said. Officers said in the complaint he drove at a high rate of speed and swerved through traffic.
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Bismarck police stopped Bison another time on May 21, a complaint said. When an officer told him to get out of the vehicle, Bison said he wasn't going to do that and sped away, the complaint alleged.
Bison was arrested May 23 with the vehicle by Fort Yates police.
In July, Bison pleaded guilty to fleeing, reckless endangerment, driving with a suspended license and false reports to law enforcement in connection to the May 19 incident in Mandan. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, and he spent three weeks in jail.
Readers can reach Forum reporters April Baumgarten at abaumgarten@forumcomm.com and Michelle Griffith, a Report for America corps member, at mgriffith@forumcomm.com.
