Lincoln County man accused of DUI after U.S. 2 crash
Joshua Miller appeared in Lincoln County District Court on July 11, 2022. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
A Lincoln County man pleaded not guilty to DUI charges last week in district court.
Joshua Miller, 35, is charged with two felonies, including driving under the influence, fourth offense, or, in the alternative, driving with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or greater, fourth offense. Miller is also charged with two misdemeanors, including driving on a suspended license, second offense, and leaving the scene of an accident.
According to charging documents in the case, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Bryce Ford responded to a rollover crash at 12:40 a.m. on June 10 at mile marker 20.6 on U.S. 2. The trooper saw severe damage to concrete barriers on the south side of the road and a Chevy Suburban on its passenger side in the eastbound lane.
Ford also reported seeing a full beer can on the road. When Ford spoke to Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brandon Huff, he said the driver of the Suburban had left the scene. Ford learned the suspected driver, Miller, was picked up at mile marker 25 and taken to the hospital.
When Ford arrived at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, he spoke to Libby Police Department Sgt. Chris Pape who said Miller agreed to a blood draw. Ford then spoke to Miller who said he didn’t know what happened and thought he may have been hit by a car.
According to Ford, he reminded Miller that the owner of the Suburban had given it to him to work on earlier that day. But Miller said he wasn’t driving any vehicle, court documents said. Ford said Miller had injuries consistent with being in a rollover crash and had an odor of an alcoholic substance coming from him.
Later, Ford took statements from the man who owned the Suburban and his son. Both said they gave Miller the vehicle on June 9 to fix an electrical problem.
According to the charging document, Miller has three prior DUI convictions, including two in 2009 and another in 2016. The trooper also reported that Miller had six driving while suspended convictions.
Miller is free on bail. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Nov. 7.
The maximum penalty for DUI is two years in a state correctional facility, suspension of driving privileges for one year and forfeiture of each vehicle owned by the defendant at the time of the offense.