Driver who hit pedestrians failed breath test, police say

The Whitefish man accused of striking two pedestrians with his car in downtown Whitefish on Saturday was legally drunk according to a breath test taken by police, court documents say.

James Bowling French Jr., 56, is facing two felony counts of negligent vehicle assault. He faces 10 years in state prison for each count.

According to court officials, French is being held in the Flathead County Jail on $100,000 bond and he is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 2.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Whitefish Police officers were called to Baker Avenue at around 5:45 p.m. for a report of an accident involving a 2012 Mustang GT. The car was found at a 45-degree angle up against a guardrail.

Police found one of the victims, a man from Marietta, Georgia, impaled on a tree branch. His wife was found on the ground, about 20 feet below the street in a ditch. Both suffered severe injuries.

When officers spoke with French, he allegedly admitted he was driving and said he had consumed alcohol earlier in the day. According to the police report, French’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and he smelled of alcohol.

After being transported to the police department, French again allegedly admitted he had drank alcohol before driving into Whitefish for dinner. He said he lost control of his vehicle and saw the two pedestrians shortly before hitting them.

French then completed several standard field sobriety tests, which showed indications of impairment, according to court documents. He was then taken to North Valley Hospital where a blood sample was taken. French also gave a breath sample which allegedly resulted in a blood alcohol level of 0.098. The legal limit in Montana is 0.08.

According to the affidavit, officers spoke with several witnesses who said they saw French’s vehicle speed toward and hit both pedestrians, sending both airborne.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker can be reached at (406) 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.