MISSOULA — A Missoula woman has been charged in the death of a pedestrian she's accused of hitting with her vehicle in late July.
Tiffany Lynn Newhoff, 42, is charged with negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving with a suspended license.
On July 21, Missoula police responded to reports of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle at the intersection of South Third Street West and Russell Street.
In charging documents, the pedestrian, Lori Durnil, told police she was crossing the street with a walk sign and a car ran over her. Durnil reported the truck stopped then started to back up, drove over her, and then fled the scene.
Witnesses also told police that Durnil had the right of way at the crosswalk and began crossing Russell Street when Newhoff did not yield the right of way and made a right turn hitting Durnil.
The witness said the vehicle ran over her, dragged her, and fled the scene.
Charging documents say Newhoff went to the Missoula police station three days later on July 24 saying she learned police were looking for her.
She was not under arrest and was advised of her rights. Newhoff claimed to the police she did not remember anything about an accident. She told the police she did not know she hit anyone until the police were looking for her.
She disclosed to the police she takes numerous medications.
She said on July 21 just after 4 p.m., she was leaving work from North Reserve and was picking up her boyfriend at Splash Montana. She told the police she remembered taking Reserve to Third Street and then to Splash Montana.
She said they went home to drop off the truck and did not come home that night. That's when she learned the police were looking for her. She denied to police any visual obstructions in the truck or mechanical problems.
Durnil died from her injuries on August 4. An autopsy revealed her cause of death was blunt force injuries sustained from a traffic collision.
