Man charged with aggravated assault following collision

A Libby man who struck his wife and knocked her unconscious following his fleeing the scene of an accident was arraigned for felony aggravated assault in Montana 19th Judicial District Court on Monday, April 9.

Jeffrey Smith could face up to 20 years in state prison and $50,000 in fines if found guilty.

According to an affidavit from Deputy Lincoln County Attorney Josh Nemeth, Sheriff’s Deputy John Davis was on scene at a two-vehicle collision at the Libby Town Pump on March 24. He was advised of a call to dispatch from a man on Maple Street who said he had knocked his wife unconscious and requested an ambulance.

The caller, Jeffrey Smith, was also suspected as the driver who had fled from the collision on foot south across Highway 2.

When Davis encountered Smith standing in the doorway to his residence, Smith told Davis that he had been in the collision at Town Pump and that he had drunk an entire bottle of vodka after arriving home, showing Davis an empty bottle.

Smith admitted to punching his wife, Trisha Womack, in the face and knocking her unconscious, but claimed that his wife had first struck him three times in the face.

Though Smith attempted to point out injuries around his nose, Davis was not able to identify signs of injury on Smith at that time, according to the affidavit.

Davis spoke to Womack, who was on the couch and who Davis said appeared confused, according to the affidavit. Davis observed a “very large and swollen contusion on the left side of her face.”

Womack held her face and cried as she spoke to Davis, telling him that it hurt and repeatedly stating she did not call for an ambulance.

Davis reported that Womack appeared to be fading in and out of consciousness and requested an ambulance to the location, according to the affidavit.

Womack was transported to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, and Davis arrested Smith on suspicion of partner or family member assault.

According the affidavit, doctors examining Womack determined she had a broken eye socket, broken collar bone and bleeding on the brain. She appeared to be experiencing serious memory loss, including difficulty recognizing a coworker who brought Womack to an appointment with Lincoln County Victim Advocate Jessica Vanderhoof.

In a later interview with Sheriff’s Detective Duane Rhodes, Womack said she remembered Smith returning home March 24, but initially said she did not remember anything until waking up in the hospital the next morning.

During the course of the interview, Womack said she recalled that Smith had been drinking and that she had yelled at him over totaling their vehicle at the Town Pump. She said he hit her with his fist.

In court Monday, Smith plead not guilty. He is scheduled for his next hearing on Monday, June 4.