Garryowen Man Sentenced After Passenger Dies in Crow Reservation Crash

A 20-year-old man from Garryowen has been sentenced to prison after a crash on the Crow Reservation claimed the life of a female passenger.

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot, Cade Cleatus Birdinground received a sentence of 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Birdinground pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of involuntary manslaughter.

U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided over the case.

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Early Morning Crash on Highway 384

Court documents say the crash happened around 4:30 a.m. on May 18, 2024, along Highway 384 near Hardin on the Crow Reservation.

When law enforcement arrived, they discovered a truck that had gone off the roadway and into the Big Horn River. The vehicle was partially submerged in the water. After the truck was pulled from the river, officers found the body of a deceased woman on the passenger-side floorboard.

Driver Located Nearby

Investigators later learned that Birdinground had been taken in by neighbors near the crash site. Authorities say he still had the key to the truck in his pocket and appeared to be intoxicated. A blood test taken around 6 a.m., roughly 90 minutes after the crash, showed a blood alcohol concentration of 218 mg/dL.

Witnesses Described Reckless Driving

During the investigation, witnesses identified Birdinground as the driver of the truck. They told investigators he had been driving recklessly before losing control of the vehicle. A crash investigation by the Montana Highway Patrol determined that the driver failed to navigate a curve in the road, causing the truck to leave the roadway and plunge down an approximately 18-foot embankment into the river.

Passenger’s Death Ruled Drowning

Authorities identified the victim in court documents as Jane Doe. An autopsy determined that the woman died from drowning. The manner of death was ruled accidental and related to being a passenger in a motor vehicle crash that ended in the river.

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Federal and Local Agencies Investigated

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks. Several agencies assisted in the investigation, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montana Highway Patrol.