The incident around 2:35 a.m. Sunday in McHenry Township killed 18-year-old Kyler Ellingson, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol. Brandt — who was also charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash — fled the area after the crash, then returned and called 911 before leaving again, according to court documents and the highway patrol. Brandt told a 911 dispatcher that the victim was “part of an extremist Republican group,” according to court documents. Authorities did not provide further details about Brandt’s allegations or the details of the alleged argument. Brandt was later arrested at his home. A breath test taken at the Stutsman County Jail registered a 0.08, over the legal alcohol limit, according to the probable cause document. Ellingson’s mother told investigators that the teenager called her shortly before the incident to ask if the family knew Brad. She said her son called her a short time later to say he was being chased, according to the probable cause document. The mother could not reach her son after that. After being struck by the vehicle, Ellingson was taken to a hospital in Carrington, where he was pronounced dead. Highway Patrol officials said the incident happened near a “street dance.” It is unclear whether either Brandt or Ellingson attended the event. Brandt was released from custody Tuesday on a $50,000 bond, according to Stutsman County Jail records. He has yet to enter a plea and is next in court on October 11. Court records do not list an attorney for Brandt Wednesday, and he did not return phone and email messages from CNN seeking comment. CNN’s Rachel Webb contributed to this report.
