Man steals car with pit bull in backseat, crashes into power pole in Great Falls

A man faces theft charges for allegedly stealing a running vehicle containing a pit bull in the backseat out of a gas station parking lot Friday night in Great Falls before crashing into a power pole just blocks away, resulting in his hospitalization.

Tevin Oney Lapier, 24, has been charged with misdemeanor theft, as well as reckless driving and operating a vehicle with a suspended license, both traffic violations, according to the Great Falls Police Department.

Shortly after 9 p.m. Friday a man pulled into the parking lot of the Loaf ‘N Jug gas station at the corner of 2nd Avenue North and 38th Street and left the car running with the dog in the backseat.

Lapier allegedly entered the 1999 Nissan Altima while the man was in the store and drove away.

Reportedly driving at a high rate of speed, Lapier crashed the passenger’s side of the car into a power pole around the 3400 block of 1st Avenue North, knocking the pole to the ground.

There was extensive damage to the vehicle as a result of the crash,

The crash caused extensive damage to the vehicle, and Lapier had to be extricated before being sent to the hospital with injuries.

The pit bull managed to escape the vehicle following the crash and ran from the scene, per GFPD. The dog was later found by Cascade County Sheriff’s Office deputies uninjured.

Lapier was not placed into custody Friday night due to his hospitalization, and updates on his condition were not immediately available Saturday afternoon. The vehicle theft was classified as a misdemeanor due to the value of the vehicle, according to GFPD.

The exact cause of the crash was still under investigation as of Saturday, and Lapier could possibly face additional charges following the incident.

Reporter Grady Higgins can be reached at ghiggins@greatfallstribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @GFTribGHiggins. To support coverage of northcentral Montana, subscribe today and receive a special offer.