Prosecutors: Motorist involved in U.S. 93 wreck was ‘high on medication’

A Lakeside man accused of causing a drug-fueled collision on U.S. 93 just south of Kalispell last year is now facing a felony case in Flathead County District Court.  

Prosecutors filed a criminal endangerment charge against Richard Frederick Rowe, 40, on April 7. Booked into the county jail on April 9, Rowe is being held with bail set at $40,000. 

He is expected to appear before Judge Heidi Ulbricht on May 1 for his arraignment.  

Rowe was allegedly behind the wheel of a GMC Denali that witnesses say was traveling erratically while headed northbound on U.S. 93 prior to the Jan. 5, 2024 wreck, court documents said. Attempting to pass a semitrailer about 5:40 a.m., the Denali crossed into the southbound lanes of the interstate.  

A second motorist, headed south, told investigators that he thought the driver of the Denali was making a left turn into an auto parts business when it swerved back toward the northbound lanes. The two vehicles struck each other head on, court documents said.  

Both vehicles were disabled in the wreck.  

Investigators later learned that Rowe had been "high on medication" and in the hospital the night prior to the crash, according to court documents.  

A toxicology screen allegedly showed that Rowe had several different types of benzodiazepines in his system, including clonazepam and bromazolam. The latter is deemed a designer drug by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Montana Highway Patrol investigated the crash. 

If convicted, Rowe faces up to 10 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.