Billings man charged after pursuit that ended with teen's death

A Billings man is accused of leading law enforcement on a chase that ended with a wreck that killed a teenage boy.

Hayden Michael Reyes pleaded not guilty earlier this week in Yellowstone County District Court to three counts of criminal endangerment and one count of aggravated fleeing from police. The 22-year-old was allegedly driving on Interstate 90 at speeds nearly eclipsing 100 mph, prompting Montana Highway Patrol to attempt to stop him. Reyes eventually rolled his vehicle, court documents said, putting himself and two passengers in the hospital. One of the passengers, a 16-year-old boy, died from his injuries.

After the crash, according to charging documents, Reyes asked one of the troopers if it was, “one of the better chases you boys have gotten into a while.”

Early in the morning of Feb. 27, an MHP trooper was on patrol along I-90, heading westbound near the South Billings Boulevard exit. From behind him, he spotted a Subaru Outback driving at a high rate of speed. The trooper clocked the Subaru speeding up to 98 mph, court documents said. When the trooper got behind the Subaru and activated his emergency lights, the driver of the Subaru, later identified as Reyes, allegedly turned off his headlights.

A pursuit ensued, court documents said, with Reyes leading troopers of the interstate and onto South Billings Boulevard, driving south where the road becomes Blue Creek Road. When Reyes reached Pryor Road, he allegedly tried to make a left turn, and the Subaru overturned several times. Troopers pushed the Subaru back onto its wheels and got all three people out of the vehicle before it caught fire.

One of the passengers, the 16-year-old boy, was taken to a Billings hospital via helicopter. He was later pronounced dead. A second passenger, a 23-year-old man from North Dakota, allegedly told troopers he told Reyes to stop the Subaru during the chase.

Reyes, court documents said, agreed to give a statement to law enforcement, telling law enforcement that he picked up the teen earlier that night in Lockwood and was driving him to his home in Laurel. Reyes allegedly said he was speeding because the teen was out past his curfew. Reyes told a trooper that he turned off his vehicle’s lights to keep troopers from being able to see him during the pursuit, according to charging documents, and asked if he’d be able to see video recordings of the chase.

Yellowstone County prosecutors filed criminal charges against Reyes on March 2. He appeared for his arraignment the following day from Yellowstone County Detention Facility via teleconference. Reyes, in a wheelchair, pleaded not guilty to the charges and has remained in custody since with his bail set at $75,000. County prosecutors did not immediately respond to questions of whether the death of the 16-year-old would impact Reyes’ criminal case.

From 2014 through 2023, according to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there was an annual average of 70 fatalities in Montana due to speeding. Passengers made up about 40% of the victims in those crashes.

For each count of criminal endangerment, Reyes faces up to 10 years in prison, while aggravated fleeing from police comes with the possibly of up to five years in prison.