Driver pleads guilty

A 15-year-old boy pleaded no contest Friday in Flathead County District Court to negligent homicide for his role in the traffic death of a Columbia Falls woman.

Phillip John Wisnewski faces as long as 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

He was charged after Sara June Carter, 22, was killed in a July 13 crash on U.S. 2 near Glacier Park International Airport.

She was a passenger in a Hyundai traveling south when a pickup driven by Wisnewski, also southbound, tried to make a U-turn in front of them.

Wisnewski, who was not licensed to drive, testified Friday he and a group of friends were headed home from a rodeo at the Blue Moon. They missed a turn onto Hodgson Road and pulled over onto the right shoulder. Wisnewski then attempted the U-turn across both lanes of southbound traffic, almost colliding with the Hyundai.

The Hyundai's driver swerved into the northbound lane to avoid the pickup, then collided head-on with another car.

The Hyundai skidded across the roadway and burst into flames. Carter was pulled from the burning car by other drivers who stopped to help.

She was pronounced dead about an hour after the 8:13 p.m. accident, according to Flathead County coroners.

"I'm just so sorry for what happened. I'm just so sorry," said Wisnewski, tearfully taking responsibility for Carter's death.

There were five other teenagers in the truck at the time of the crash. The pickup left the scene of the accident but was tracked down later.

When asked in court Friday why they left, Wisnewski replied, "We didn't know what to do. I don't know, we were just scared."

He was not driving the truck when the group fled, Wisnewski said.

The six teenagers in the truck initially refused to tell investigators who was driving at the time of the accident, prompting prosecutors to charge Wisnewski with obstructing an officer. That charge was dropped in exchange for his no contest plea to negligent homicide Friday.

The Hyundai's 23-year-old driver sustained minor injuries. The other car's 47-year-old driver also sustained minor injuries. Nobody in the pickup was injured, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com