Missoula County DUI: Woman Arrested After Three-Car Accident

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On October 20, 2024, at approximately 5:05 PM, a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper was dispatched to a three-car accident at the intersection of US Highway 93 North and Cartage Road in Missoula County. Through his investigation, the trooper determined that a Honda Element driven by 47-year-old Barbara Woolsey rear-ended a Toyota Highlander at the intersection at a high rate of speed.  

Another witness stated she saw Woolsey swerving between lanes on the highway before the crash but luckily did not hit any oncoming traffic. Woolsey did not slow down as she approached the intersection, but the witness did slow down to avoid being part of the collision. 

The trooper spoke to Woolsey in the back of an ambulance. She had slurred speech and her eyes were watery. She declined to go to the hospital. She was asked for her insurance and at one point handed the trooper other documentation. According to court documents, she dropped a marijuana pipe out of her coat while looking for documents.

Then she was put through standardized field sobriety testing. At the conclusion of testing, the trooper made the decision to arrest her based on the following factors:  

1. She had crashed into another vehicle without braking.
2. A witness saw her swerving across lanes before the crash.
3. Her speech was slurred and her eyes were watery.
4. She had a marijuana pipe on her.
5. The back of her tongue was green.
6. She scored 0/6 on the HGN test.
7. She scored 7/8 on the walk-and-turn test.
8. She scored ¾ on the one-leg stand test.
9. She could not remember simple instructions for the tests and had to be reminded multiple times.
10. She provided a PBT sample of .00 BAC which led the trooper to believe she was under the influence of drugs.

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

After her arrest, she was read the implied consent advisory and refused a blood draw. Then she was transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility. During an inventory search at the jail, detention officers located three grams of psilocybin mushrooms in her bag, a meth pipe, and a couple of used and empty “dime” bags.  

Woolsey claimed the meth pipe was not hers, but the mushrooms were hers. While cataloging evidence, the trooper located crystalline pieces of suspected meth in Woolsey’s bag. 

Woolsey is currently being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs, DUI first offense, reckless driving, and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. 

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