Report of Erratic Driver Leads to Felony DUI Arrest in Missoula

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - At approximately 11:05 a.m. on May 17, 2026, a Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was driving around Reserve and Brooks and received a report of a white Ford F-150 driving erratically.  

The deputy observed a truck that matched the description and license plate number of the vehicle that had been reported. Then the deputy saw that the vehicle ran a red light. The deputy caught up to the vehicle and noticed that it was driving approximately 30 MPH in a 45 MPH zone, and swerving slightly within its lane.  

The deputy initiated a traffic stop at Winco Foods. The driver exited the vehicle. The deputy made contact with the driver, who was identified by driver’s license as 61-year-old Leslie Person.  

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Person admitted that he had gone through the red light. The deputy noticed that Person was stammering his speech, had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person, and yellow-tinged, bloodshot eyes, and that Person was swaying.  

According to court documents, Person initially denied having consumed alcohol but later stated he had consumed a Bloody Mary at around 9:00 a.m. The deputy administered standardized field sobriety tests, which he is trained in scoring and administering. The deputy noted six of six standardized clues on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, six of eight on the walk and turn test, and three of four on the one-legged stand test. 

Person consented to provide a preliminary breath sample, which showed a breath alcohol concentration of .218, which is nearly three times the legal limit. He then consented to an Intoxilyzer breath test, which showed a result of .192.  

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Reports

Person was arrested and transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility. He is currently being charged with felony aggravated DUI (fourth offense) and failure to obey instructions of traffic control devices. 

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