8/31/22 Bozeman, MT – Man Used A Rock To Break The Window Of A Bozeman Police Car That Was Locked – Steals Police Car – Runs 3 Red Lights – Drove Into Oncoming Traffic On I-90 – Crashes Into Guard Rail

August 31, 2022

www.bozemandailychronicle.com

A California man is accused of stealing a Bozeman police car and fleeing from police through downtown Bozeman before crashing on Interstate 90.

Travis Hardy, 49, is charged with theft and criminal endangerment, both felonies. Hardy could see up to three years for the theft charge and 10 years for the criminal endangerment charge.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, on Monday around 8:30 p.m. two women told officers at the Law & Justice Center, at 615 S. 16th Ave., that they saw a man hitting car windows with a rock.

The officers went outside and saw Hardy behind the wheel of a patrol car in the Law and Justice parking lot, after he had apparently broken the window with a rock and got into the locked car. Hardy drove off.

Officers tried to get Hardy to stop the car, but he drove away onto South 19th Avenue, according to court documents.

With police in pursuit, Hardy continued on South 19th Avenue before turning on West Main Street driving east.

According to court documents, while driving own West Main Street he apparently ran three red lights at Eleventh Avenue, Seventh Avenue and Willson Avenue and a red light at Highland Boulevard and East Main Street.

He reportedly drove into oncoming traffic at several points and came close to crashing into several cars during the chase.

Hardy then drove onto I-90 where he drove east for about a mile before crashing into a guardrail near mile marker 310. He was then arrested.

Hardy appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court via video before Judge Bryan Adams on Tuesday. Adams set Hardy’s bail at $10,000.