UPDATE: Casper man charged with felonies after injury crash Sunday night

CASPER, Wyo. — A Casper man has been charged with three counts of driving under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury after a two-vehicle crash Sunday night.

Jakob Klinger, 23, heard the charges during his initial appearance before Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Kevin Taheri.

Each charge of driving under the influence is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen said Klinger has prior convictions for failure to appear, possession of a controlled substance and attempted possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. (in April, klinger pleaded guilty to possession and attempted crime and, in exchange for the plea, received a four- to five-year suspended prison sentence with three years of supervised probation).

Itzen recommended, and Taheri agreed, that Klinger’s bail be set at $50,000 cash or surety.

Klinger will have a preliminary hearing in 10 days if he does not bail and in 20 days if he does. During a preliminary hearing, the state will present evidence that a crime was committed and the defendant committed it. If a judge agrees with the preponderance of the state’s evidence, Klinger’s case will move to Natrona County District Court for trial.

A news release from the Casper Police Department said officers responded to the injury crash at the intersection of East 21st Street and South Beverly Street around 10:30 p.m.

“Officers arrived at the scene where a pickup truck driven by Casper resident Jakob Klinger collided with a passenger car driven by a minor with three minor passengers, ages 14 to 17, all from Casper,” the statement said.

First responders offered immediate aid to several people with minor and life-threatening injuries.

Five people, including minors and an adult passenger in Klinger’s vehicle, were taken to Banner Wyoming Medical Center.

“Juvenile victims are expected to recover with varying degrees of severity of their injuries,” the news release says. “The condition of the adult passenger is unknown at this time.”

Investigators were called to the scene of the accident to document and collect evidence and conduct interviews with those involved. Speed and impairment are being considered in this ongoing investigation and additional charges may be filed at a later date.

We would like to take this moment to remind members of #ourcommunity that driving under the influence is a crime. Drunk driving is drunk driving and the lifelong consequences are not worth it. Call a taxi, call a friend or use the Natrona County Safe Ride program.

The Casper Police Department is dedicated to the protection and safety of our community through the highest standards of professionalism in policing.

-Casper Police Department