RUGBY, N.D. (AP) -- A Belcourt man with five drunken driving convictions now faces manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges in the death of a passenger in a vehicle he was driving.
Authorities allege that 37-year-old Linus Bercier III was legally drunk and driving more than 100 mph when his vehicle crashed north of Rugby in November 2010, killing his relative, 46-year-old Michael Bercier.
The Grand Forks Herald reports that court documents say Bercier's blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit for driving when he was tested an hour after the crash.
Bercier made his initial court appearance on Tuesday and had bond set at $25,000. Court documents do not list an attorney for him and a telephone listing for him in Belcourt could not immediately be found.
