Bend man sentenced to two years in federal prison for hitting Yellowstone National Park flagger with his car
Barney Lerten
UPDATE: Adding video
CHEYENNE, Wyoming (KTVZ) — A Bend man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison and a year of supervised release for hitting a Yellowstone National Park employee with his car a year ago.
David Tyler Regnier, 67, was sentenced Monday after being convicted by a federal jury in May on a felony charge of assaulting a federal employee with a dangerous weapon. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin also ordered the defendant to pay a $10,000 fine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed Wednesday to KTVZ News.
According to court documents and evidence presented at Regnier’s three-day trial, on September 18, 2024, two Yellowstone National Park employees were directing traffic near Canyon Junction, where road construction was underway. They noticed a Jeep approaching the intersection and driving the wrong way down the road to bypass waiting traffic.
Prosecutors said Regnier expressed his displeasure at how traffic was being directed through the construction zone.
One employee told Regnier that he could not proceed and needed to back up. The other employee stood in the way of the Jeep with a stop sign. Regnier accelerated, driving into the employee and physically pushing him backwards. The employee jumped out of the Jeep’s path after it struck him.
Regnier was later stopped by Yellowstone National Park Service law enforcement officers and arrested.
Regnier faced a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, with three years of supervised release, along with a fine up to $250,000.
National Park Service law enforcement officers investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
The Cowboy State Daily reported the sentencing judge rejected a defense objection claiming that Regnier’s conduct did not constitute aggravated assault. Rankin said his use of the Jeep made the vehicle a “deadly weapon,” intending to do more than just frighten the employee.
Though the employee was able to jump out of the way, prosecutor Cook argued that conditions that rainy day could have caused the worker to slip under the car’s tires and be seriously injured.
Regnier gave an emotional statement to the court, apologizing to the federal employee he had hit. His defense claimed his conduct that day was tied to medical problems that led him to panic. Defense attorney Ryan Wright said Regnier was desperately seeking a bathroom.