$50,000 Bail For 19 Year-Old Student Charged With Vehicular Homicide In Evaro Hill Crash
19 year-old Trai Ann Dewey of Billings is in the Missoula County Jail after allegedly causing the death of her boyfriend, Joseph Neal Bremner, when she crashed her vehicle on Evaro Hill on Friday night after admitting to smoking marijuana.
Dewey, a student at Salish-Kootenai College in Pablo, was transported to St. Patrick Hospital after driving her Dodge Durango across several lanes of traffic and was struck on the passenger side by a Dodge Ram pickup truck. According to court documents, Dewey admitted to investigating Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer that both she and the victim had been smoking marijuana before the trip.
Chief Deputy Missoula County Attorney Jason Marks said Dewey has been charged with felony vehicular homicide while under the influence, and asked Judge Marie Anderson for bail of $50,000.
"I'm particularly concerned that she currently has a warrant for failure to appear out of this court on a marijuana DUI," Marks said. "The allegation in this case is that she smoked marijuana prior to driving before the crash that killed her passenger. Given her history of failure to appear and the similar allegations in this case, I think significant bail is warranted for both her reappearance and her compliance with conditions."
Dewey's family was in the courtroom and the public defender stated that the victim's father had specifically requested that Dewey be allowed to attend her boyfriend's funeral, scheduled for Wednesday. Marks said once bail has been posted, he would be in favor of allowing her to attend, and for her parents to oversee and supervise her behavior until her court appearances have been completed.
The charge of felony vehicular homicide while under the influence carries a possible sentence of up to 30 years in the Montana State Prison and a fine of up to $50,000.