BOZEMAN — A Montana judge sentenced a 39-year-old man to 15 years in prison Friday for his role in a deadly crash and subsequent cover-up.
Gerald Lee Johnson Jr. received the sentence after a Gallatin County jury convicted him in June on two felonies stemming from a 2023 collision that killed a Manhattan man.
According to Gallatin County Justice Court charging documents on Aug. 14, 2023, at approximately 10:13 PM on Sunday, August 6, a Montana Highway Patrol officer was dispatched to a crash involving a pickup truck and motorcycle at the intersection of Frontage Rd and Thorpe Rd. When the officer arrived, the pickup truck had reportedly already fled the scene.
The motorcyclist, later identified as 28-year-old Hunter Berry of Manhattan, was transported to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
On August 7, 2023, MHP requested the public’s help locating the pickup truck. A person with ACME storage facility in Belgrade reportedly provided footage of a pickup truck matching the description of the one involved in the crash. The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Hollie Kittle. An ACME storage representative described Kittle as a “problem tenant”.
RELATED: Suspects in fatal hit-and-run near Belgrade charged with Negligent Homicide
According to charging documents, Johnson was arrested on a warrant and told officers in an interview that Kittle drove the vehicle until the I-90 overpass on Thorpe Rd, then he switched into the driver’s seat. Johnson reportedly told officers he was driving when the crash occurred with the motorcyclist.
Prosecutors said Johnson failed to yield the right of way, causing his truck to crash into a motorcycle Berry was driving. Johnson then left the scene without stopping to help or provide any information.
The jury found Johnson guilty of tampering with evidence and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. He was found not guilty of negligent homicide.
Judge Rienne McElyea heard statements from Berry's family before handing down the sentence. She gave Johnson 10 years for the tampering charge, with 2 years suspended, and an additional 7 years for leaving the scene. The judge ordered the sentences to run consecutively, bringing his total time behind bars to 15 years.
The Gallatin County Attorney said the case has always been about accountability and that the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes.
Johnson will be transferred to the Montana Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.
Related:
Montana Highway Patrol locates vehicle in fatal hit-and-run near Belgrade
Victim who died on motorcycle in hit-and-run near Belgrade identified; MHP seeks persons of interest
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