Women charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence in Ravalli County

HAMILTON, Mont. - 32-year-old Dawn Burt was charged with felony vehicular homicide while under the influence in Ravalli County for a crash on March 14 at the intersection of Christianson Lane and Upper Burnt Fork School Road east of Stevensville. A 22-year-old woman died as a result of the crash.

According to court documents, Burt was celebrating her birthday with a party at her boyfriend's house. Just before 9:45 p.m., she and the 22-year-old got into her boyfriend's four-wheeler ATV. Burt had been drinking alcohol.

Burt drove the ATV eastbound on Christianson Lane at a high speed and crashed head-on into a vertical steel fence post at the T-intersection of Christianson and Upper Burnt Fork School Road.

Court documents say the ATV was thrown 12 feet north along the fence, and Burt and 22-year-old victim were thrown from the ATV more than 45 feet east "into the pasture on the other side of the steel post fence."

The victim was transported to St. Patrick Hospital by LifeFlight, but died on March 15 at 2:42 a.m. "as a result of the traumatic brain injury she suffered in this crash," according to court documents.