Whitefish man, 21, charged with vehicular homicide

A Whitefish man is in jail, charged with felony vehicular homicide while under the influence of drugs, more than a year after his passenger, a 17-year-old Bigfork girl, died from injuries sustained in a crash.

Dillon Johnson, 21, is currently being held at Flathead County Detention Center with bail set at $50,000.

The charge stems from a July 3, 2016 one-vehicle crash on U.S. 93 South where a sport utility vehicle rolled off the roadway near the Flathead Valley Cowboy Church. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Johnson and its passenger as Madison Duke.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Josh Nanna conducted a crash-scene investigation, determining that the vehicle had drifted off the right side of the road and struck a delineator post (a reflective roadside marker), according to court documents. The vehicle continued to reportedly drive off-road, parallel to the highway, for several hundred feet before it abruptly steered to the left and crossed southbound lanes, then overcorrected to the right causing the vehicle to roll — driver’s side first — at least four times before coming to rest.

Other motorists pulled Johnson and Duke from the vehicle as it caught fire. Johnson allegedly walked a short distance before collapsing and was quickly transported to the hospital, court documents state. Duke was reportedly unconscious and badly injured. Despite receiving emergency medical assistance, she died from blunt-force trauma.

Duke would have been a senior at Bigfork High School in the fall of 2016.

Johnson was briefly questioned at the hospital and allegedly couldn’t remember the crash. He reportedly consented to having blood drawn that was sent to be analyzed at the Montana State Crime Lab. According to court documents, his blood contained concentrations of methamphetamine, amphetamine and metabolized THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

Since the investigation showed that there was full visibility and no precipitation or defects on the road that would have caused or contributed to the crash, Nanna concluded that Johnson drove “in a careless, inattentive manner and his ability to drive safely was diminished due to his recent drug use.”

If convicted, Johnson could face a maximum 30-year prison sentence and fine of $50,000.

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.