Woman Crashes Into a Missoula Home and Tree, Ends Up in a Ditch

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On August 12, 2023, at around 5:11 p.m., Missoula Police Department Officers were dispatched to a report of a vehicle and barrier collision on Russell Street and South 3rd Street West. A reporting party, John Doe, stated that the vehicle almost struck him and his family.  

Dispatch then received another 911 call stating that the vehicle had driven through the median, stopped briefly, and a male jumped out of the vehicle from the passenger side. Another caller reported that the vehicle crashed into a residence at Wyoming and Johnson Street and was actively attempting to flee from the scene. Another caller reported that the vehicle had struck a tree at Montana Street and Johnson Street and was now in a drainage ditch. 

Officers Locate the Vehicle

Officers responded to that area and made contact with the driver, later identified as 38-year-old Lueanna Pierre. An officer could hear Pierre screaming but was unable to determine what she was saying. Pierre then began to press the gas pedal, causing the front tires to spin at a high rate of speed. It became obvious to the officer that Pierre was attempting to flee the scene now that officers were present. 

The officer noted that had her vehicle not been high-centered, Pierre would have certainly fled the scene, which would have led to a police pursuit. The officer approached the vehicle with his firearm drawn and gave Pierre commands to exit the vehicle. Pierre ignored all commands and continued to push the gas on the vehicle as the front tires spun at a high rate of speed.

As this was happening, the brush below the front of the vehicle began smoking and eventually caught on fire. The officer decided that it was necessary to forcefully extract Pierre from the vehicle to prevent any further damage.  

While being removed from the vehicle, Pierre screamed at officers and used dead weight to prevent officers from securing her into the patrol vehicle. Several officers had to carry Pierre to a patrol vehicle and an officer obtained a WRAP restraint due to Pierre’s behavior. Officers held her down and she attempted to kick while they were securing the lower portion of the WRAP. 

Officer Suspects Potential Drug Use

An officer rode in the back of the ambulance while Pierre was transported to St. Patrick’s Hospital. During that trip, the officer observed that Pierre had ridged muscle tone, an excited and agitated demeanor, and appeared to be experiencing hallucinations. The officer noted that based on his training and experience, these observations were consistent with dangerous drug use. 

A search warrant was applied for and granted for a blood draw. According to court documents, two vials of blood were successfully drawn, stored, and transported to the Montana State Crime Lab for toxicology. 

Pierre was transported to the Missoula County Detention Center. She is currently being charged with three counts of felony criminal endangerment, criminal mischief, and DUI second offense. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.