Montana man sentenced to probation following chase with stolen semi on I-94 near St. Cloud

Court records show a Montana man will serve probation after pleading guilty to two charges stemming from a chase in Stearns County last month that involved a stolen semi-truck.

Isaac Lee Birdinground, Jr., 38, of Garryowen, Montana, entered guilty pleas Wednesday to charges of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and a DWI in a commercial motor vehicle. Two other charges—theft/driving a motor vehicle without owner’s consent and DWI – operating a motor vehicle under influence of alcohol—were dismissed.

According to online court records, Judge Laura Moehrle stayed a 21-day sentence for both of the charges Birdinground, Jr., was convicted of, and then sentenced him to serve five years of supervised probation with the Stearns County Community Corrections department. He must also pay supervision and program fees.

Birdinground, Jr., was originally scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

As previously reported, the chase happened west of St. Cloud on Oct. 13. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said they discovered a semi-truck pulling a 44-foot flatbed trailer with a forklift on it had been stolen out of Fridley around noon that day.

The semi was then found heading west on the interstate near County Road 2, and authorities tried to stop the vehicle using stop sticks. However, charging documents state some of those sticks were avoided, but the driver’s side front tire eventually blew apart around mile marker 137, and it went into the ditch near the New Munich exit.

After Birdinground, Jr., was arrested, a complaint states the preliminary breath test showed he had a blood-alcohol content of .101, and an empty bottle of Southern Comfort was found on the semi’s floorboard.