Man Skips Stop Sign, Crashes Into a Car on a Busy Missoula Street

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - At approximately 3:54 a.m. on February 7th, 2023, Missoula Police Department Officers were dispatched to the area of Reserve Street and Dearborn Avenue for a motor vehicle accident. Upon arrival, an officer observed two passenger vehicles facing southbound in the northbound lanes on Reserve Street. The officer also observed two younger males walking around the vehicles, who appeared to be injured and confused.  

An officer spoke with a male who was identified as 25-year-old Zadin Bautista. Zadin was operating a Gray 2007 Toyota Scion and his vehicle had extensive damage to the right side. It was later determined that Zadin did not have insurance. 

Hansen spoke with the other male who reported having chest pain and difficulty breathing. EMS was dispatched to the scene for both individuals. While speaking with the male, the officer learned he was the owner and sole occupant of the Black Honda Civic. When asked, the male informed the officer he had dash cam footage of the incident. With his permission, the officer entered the Honda Civic and obtained the Micro SD card. 

Victim Explains What Happened

The male told the officer he turned northbound onto Reserve Street from Brooks Street and continued his direction of travel in the left lane. As the male approached Dearborn Avenue, he observed Zadin’s vehicle traveling east on Dearborn Avenue at a high rate of speed. Zadin’s vehicle continued through the intersection without stopping. The male said he did not have enough time to stop and crashed into Zadin’s vehicle. 

Get our free mobile app

Both individuals were then transported to Community Medical Center for their injuries and an officer visited them there. The male told the officer he suffered bruising on his chest and back, and that his neck and hands also sustained injury. 

We Have Dash Cam Footage

The officer later reviewed the male’s dash camera footage. In the footage, the dash cam indicated the male was traveling at 48 MPH in the left lane, going northbound on Reserve Street. As the male approached the Dearborn Avenue intersection, Zadin’s vehicle approached the intersection from the west at a high rate of speed.  

Court documents indicate Zadin’s vehicle showed no attempts to slow or stop. That intersection has a stop sign for traffic approaching from Dearborn Avenue, where Zadin’s vehicle approached from, and no stop sign for traffic approaching from Reserve Street. 

Zadin’s vehicle appeared to turn into the direction of the male’s vehicle, resulting in a right-angle collision. A law enforcement search of Zadin’s driver history found that he had at least three prior convictions related to motor vehicle insurance.  

More Charges Could be Coming

According to court documents, officers responding to Zadin at the hospital and during the booking process observed that Zadin had glossy eyes, a moderate odor of consumed alcoholic beverage, and that he was experiencing mood swings consistent in their general experience with alcohol impairment. At this time, the State is not filing impaired driving charges pending further investigation. 

Zadin is currently being charged felony criminal endangerment, failure to stop at stop sign, and operating without liability insurance. 

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