Woman receives 10-year sentence for highway wreck
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Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher sentenced a Charlo woman at District Court in Polson on July 8 to the Montana State Women’s Prison, in Billings, for 10 years with three years suspended for causing a fiery crash that seriously injured a man and scorched the pavement on U.S. Highway 93 at mile marker 41.
Stacy Leann Markus, 52, entered a plea of guilty on April 22 to felony negligent vehicular assault. She made her appearance for the change of plea hearing in April via Zoom from her attorney Lance Jasper’s office in Missoula. Christopher ordered her to return to Polson that day to meet with adult probation and parole as part of her conditional release. She went to Polson and took the breath test. The preliminary breath test showed her blood alcohol content nearly three times over the legal limit, according to prosecutor James Lapotka with the Lake County Attorney’s Office.
Markus was placed under arrest and booked into the Lake County jail with bail set at $1 million. It was the second time Markus violated conditions of her release with alcohol use since the arraignment hearing on Oct. 15, 2020. The crash happened Aug. 16, 2020.
According to court records, emergency services were dispatched to a report of a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 93 with both vehicles engulfed in flames. Good Samaritans were able to extract the driver of one vehicle who was trapped. The person had suffered what appeared to be serious injuries. All three occupants of that vehicle had to be transported to an area hospital.
Witnesses reported seeing Markus pull onto the highway without yielding to an oncoming vehicle that was pulling a large trailer at highway speeds. The vehicles collided and burst into flames. The driver that was pulled from the burning vehicle suffered a broken leg and likely would have burned alive had it not been for “heroic efforts of several bystanders.”
An initial plea agreement called for a joint recommendation of 10 years with the Montana Department of Corrections with all but 60 days jail time suspended. Markus has already served 30 days in jail and 30 days of in-patient treatment. Christopher was not going to abide by the terms of the agreement after Markus violated the terms of her release after her change of plea hearing. Markus was offered the opportunity to withdraw her guilty plea and take the case to trial when told the plea agreement was off the table.
In addition to the 10-year prison term with three years suspended, Christopher added a five-year parole restriction. Markus was given 113-days credit for time served. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $98,374.16.
