Man Jumps Out of a Moving Car on a Busy Missoula Street

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On January 28, 2023, at 2:38 p.m., Missoula Police Department Officers responded to the intersection of Russell Street and Mount Avenue. Dispatch received seven complaints of a vehicle that traveled northbound on Russell Street.

At the intersection with Mount Avenue, the vehicle proceeded through a red light and then crashed into a southbound vehicle on Russell Street that was stopped. After striking that vehicle, it struck a light post support cable and then came to a stop. 

Callers said the driver jumped out of the moving vehicle approximately a block prior to the intersection and then ran into a nearby gas station. When officers arrived at the gas station, they noticed a male who matched the suspect’s description. He was later identified as Jayden Torrez.

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Torrez was yelling and flailing his arms at traffic. Officers asked Torrez to approach them so they could detain him. One officer grabbed Torrez’s right arm, but Torrez pulled it away and tightened it to the front of his body. Torrez then began to yell he did not want to be handcuffed. Torrez continued to resist arrest and had to be taken to the ground, where he continued to resist before he could be secured. 

An officer saw that Torrez’s pupils were constricted and his movements were fidgety. Torrez then told the officer that there was a bomb inside his vehicle. Torrez was transferred to the hospital, where he believed a bomb was present as well.

According to the officer, Torrez’s physical symptoms combined with his paranoia were consistent with drug use. Officers attempted to conduct standardized field sobriety tests and enough was observed to request a blood draw, which Torrez agreed to. Court documents indicate the State may add Driving Under the Influence once the results of that blood draw return.  

Another officer spoke with five witnesses who corroborated the above summation of the 911 calls. John Doe, the driver of the struck vehicle, confirmed the empty suspect vehicle struck the passenger front corner of his vehicle. Doe said he had a passenger in his vehicle when it was struck. Doe said he attempted to reverse out of the way, but was not able to do so fast enough to avoid the crash. 

Torrez is currently being charged with felony criminal endangerment and obstructing a peace officer.  

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