Driver Crashes in Missoula, Arrested for His 6th DUI

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On December 8, 2025, a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper heard a radio broadcast of a wrong-way driver on Highway 200 East. The first reporting party advised that the driver was driving eastbound in the west bound lane of traffic in a smaller gray pickup truck. The trooper learned that the vehicle is registered to 34-year-old John Smith. The trooper further learned that Smith has five lifetime DUI convictions.  

The trooper and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office deputies encountered Smith stopped on the side of Tamarack Road. The vehicle crashed into a guardrail and was still running. Smith was slumped over the wheel with blood emanating from his face, and he was non-responsive to an attempt to gain his attention. 

Deputies broke the window of Smith’s vehicle to gain access to him. Deputies attempted to wake Smith up by loudly talking to him and shaking his shoulder. Smith began to stir and moved his leg, taking his foot off the brake. The deputy noted that the vehicle rolled backwards slightly, only stopping when the deputy braced his hip against the front of the door frame.  

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Deputies Had to Act Fast 

Then the deputies used a patrol car to make contact with the rear bumper to prevent it from moving and harming them. The vehicle was still running, and Smith was still seated in the vehicle. The deputy was afraid the driver might regain consciousness and attempt to put the vehicle in gear to drive it. If this happened, it would place deputies on the scene in danger of serious injury or death.  

Deputies made the decision to remove the driver from the vehicle and sat him on the ground. Fire and EMS arrived and began medical treatment for Smith. The trooper smelled an overwhelming odor of alcohol when interacting with Smith. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was unable to formulate a coherent sentence. Smith appeared to be heavily intoxicated.  

Smith was transported to the hospital for medical care. He snored heavily and had difficulty waking to the efforts of the trooper and nurses. At 11:30 p.m., the trooper read Smith Montana’s Implied Consent advisement. He remained asleep through the reading. He remained unconscious and did not verbally consent to a blood draw. A blood test was administered by an ER technician. Two vials of blood were taken from Smith. A trooper said that Smith’s hospital blood draw was measured on scene at .335. Smith could not be cleared of medical care for at least another ten hours.  

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

On December 9, a trooper contacted Smith after he was medically cleared from the hospital. Smith was arrested and transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility. He is currently being charged with felony DUI, and his bond was set at $50,000. 

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