The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged a Bismarck man for allegedly speeding away from a Crystal City Police officer who was trying to make a traffic stop. The man was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle, according to court documents.
Eric R. Blandford, 35, on Sept. 23 was charged with aggravated fleeing, a class D felony; driving with a revoked license, a class E felony; leaving the scene of an accident, a class A misdemeanor; and operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner and speeding, both class B misdemeanors, court records show.
As of Sept. 26, he was being held on a $25,000 bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro.
Blandford has been charged as a prior offender. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has requested the fleeing charge be considered a class C felony, punishable by three to 10 years in prison, and the driving with a revoked license charge be considered a class D felony, that carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison.
A class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, and class B misdemeanors carry penalties of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
In September 2024, a Crystal City Police officer attempted to stop Blandford on North Truman Boulevard because the vehicle Blandford was driving had been reported stolen. Blandford allegedly sped away, reaching speeds of at least 75 mph in a 35-mph zone, according to the case’s probable-cause statement.
Blandford hit a vehicle at the intersection of South Truman Boulevard and Beffa Street, and he also ran several red lights and stop signs, failed to signal lane changes and exceeded speeds of more than 100 mph, the report said.
Blandford eventually stopped fleeing, but he allegedly ran from officers. He was arrested, but he refused to identify himself, according to the report.
Court records show Blandford has been convicted of at least four prior felonies and one misdemeanor in Bollinger County.
In May 2021 and June 2019, he was found guilty of two separate charges for felony possession of a controlled substance, and in September 2014, he was convicted of felony distribution of a controlled substance. He also was convicted in August 2010 for felony burglary, and in November 2011, he was found guilty of second-degree tampering.