This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
A man from Oregon has been convicted by a jury for assaulting a Yellowstone National Park employee.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming says two park employees were directing traffic through a construction zone near Canyon Junction last fall. A Jeep approached them, driving the wrong way down the road to bypass the line of waiting traffic.
The Jeep driver, David Regnier of Bend, Oregon, complained about the traffic, was told to back up, but then accelerated into one of the employees, pushing the employee backwards. The employee jumped out of the Jeep’s path after he was hit.
Regnier was later stopped by park officers and arrested.
In a motion to dismiss filed in March, Regnier’s lawyers argued the government failed to demonstrate that the alleged employee who was pushed was a federal employee, “or even assisting a federal employee in the performance of their official duties.”
They also shared a slightly different version of events from the government. They said the line of heavy traffic had been backed up for more than 45 minutes. Regnier was attempting to make a left-hand turn when he was stopped by road flaggers, one of whom “jumped in front of Mr. Regnier’s moving Jeep, attempting to stop the Jeep with his bare hands.”
Regnier’s lawyers said he told the flaggers he “badly needed to go to the bathroom, or he would not be able to make it.” They added Regnier was experiencing medical conditions that day and law enforcement later took him to the hospital.
Regnier’s team said after he spoke with the supervising flagger, he proceeded with his left-hand turn, when the other flagger “attempted to stop the Jeep using his bare hands and body. [The flagger] eventually moved to the side of the vehicle and struck the Jeep with his Stop/Slow sign as Mr. Regnier was driving away.”
Regnier was initially arrested on misdemeanor charges, which were dropped later that day. He was later indicted on the felony charge.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines at his sentencing in August.
