Fargo – United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that Winter Skye Bigtrack, age 19 of St. Michael, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 57 months in prison after having plead guilty to three counts of Involuntary Manslaughter and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. Judge Welte also sentenced Bigtrack to 3 years of supervised release and $76,786.42 restitution.
On August 11, 2021, Winter Bigtrack operated a motor vehicle on Heart Road on the Spirit Lake Reservation that left the roadway and rolled, which involved another motor vehicle. As a result of the rollover, three of the five occupants of the vehicle, an adult male, a juvenile male, and a minor female, died. The fifth passenger, another minor female, suffered injuries that required her to be transported to Fargo for intensive care treatment. Bigtrack suffered a broken collar bone. The occupants of the second vehicle received minor injuries.
Further investigation revealed that Bigtrack was driving without a license, exceeding the posted speed limit, and passing in a no passing zone while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and a controlled substance.
A federal grand jury has indicted the driver of the second involved vehicle, Trina Lily Hunt, age 19 also of St. Michael, ND, on the same charges. The indictment alleges that Hunt was driving a motor vehicle without a license while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and a controlled substance at high speeds exceeding the posted speed limit, and otherwise driving recklessly.
Grand jury Indictments are allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and the case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
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