LIVINGSTON — The wrong-way driver accused of leaving a Bozeman woman in critical condition after a crash near Livingston was seen in Park County Justice Court Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, 2024.
Nearly five months after the accident, Jennifer Lager-Fermon was formally charged with felony criminal endangerment and negligent vehicular assault.
According to court documents, shortly after 7:00 p.m. on July 10, Lager-Fermon, 53 of Ohio, was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-90 near Livingston when she struck the vehicle of 24-year-old Taylee Bornong.
The accident left Bornong in critical condition, and according to public posts by her family, in the months following she has undergone eight surgeries, suffered from multiple infections, and done rigorous physical and orthopedic therapy.
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Court documents reveal that Lager-Fermon's blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit.
Tuesday's hearing was conducted via Zoom because, according to Lager-Fermon's lawyers, the defendant has been at a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Minnesota—where she went after recovering from her own injuries in Montana.
According to Lager-Fermon's defense, the treatment facility has 24/7 supervision as well as random and regular drug and alcohol testing.
A formal action report by the Ohio State Medical Board suspended Lager-Fermon's medical license due to “substance abuse or excessive use of drugs and alcohol” in November 2023.
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Judge Clay Herbst released Lager-Fermon on her own recognizance and required a SoberLink device upon leaving the treatment facility.
All booking and release requirements will be conducted by Minnesota local law enforcement. An extradition waiver was required by Judge Herbst.
Lager Fermon’s next hearing is set for Thursday, Jan. 9, at 2:30 p.m.
