An Amidon man who drove across the centerline and killed his three passengers, including his two brothers, their friend and the driver of an oncoming oil tanker, received a one-year deferred sentence.

Ryan Jacobson, 22, entered a guilty plea to a charge of aggravated reckless driving, a Class A misdemeanor, in an agreement signed Feb. 21 by Southwest District Judge Ron Hilden.

He was put on a year's unsupervised probation and would serve the sentence only in the event of any criminal conviction.

Jacobson also paid $325 in court fees and was ordered to undergo an alcohol addiction evaluation.

He had been charged with four felony counts of negligent homicide three months after the June 20 accident on Highway 85 near Fairfield and after two months of medical treatment for his own injuries and burns.

The accident occurred around midnight, when he was driving home from a rodeo with his brothers Casey, 18, Justin, 25, and their friend Brandon Klein, 20, of Bowman, and veered into a northbound loaded oil tanker.

Besides his brothers and friend, the tanker truck driver, Don Tucker, 46, of Grassy Butte, also died. Tucker was able to escape his burning truck, but died at a Minnesota burn center the next day.

Jacobson's alcohol consumption was a contributing factor in the accident.

Billings County State's Attorney Jay Brovold said he agreed to the lesser charge because he wanted to establish responsibility for the accident but not punish Jacobson.

"He's going to live with enough the way it is," Brovold said.

He said the deal represents a "little give and take" on both sides, but he's satisfied with the outcome.

Jacobson's attorney, Tom Dickson, was not available for comment.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511, or lauren@;westriv.com.)