East Helena woman dies when car fleeing from MHP crashes into house, authorities say

A 52-year-old Helena man fleeing a Montana Highway Patrol trooper late Saturday crashed his vehicle into a house, killing a 69-year-old East Helena woman who was inside, authorities said.

The crash occurred about 11:30 p.m. at Lake Helena Drive and the 3700 block of East Main Street in East Helena, officials said.

Officials said that initially, the vehicle, an Audi A7, had stopped at Canyon Ferry Road and Lake Helena Drive and a passenger got out of the Audi. The driver remained in the vehicle and headed southbound on Lake Helena Drive.

MHP troopers initiated a brief pursuit. 

The Audi drove straight through a T-intersection, crashed through a fence and into a house, authorities said.

The vehicle entered the bedroom of the house, hitting two people inside. The woman inside the house suffered fatal injuries, the MHP said.

A 76-year-old man in the house was also injured, authorities said. A 40-year-old man also inside the house was not injured.

The driver was injured as well, officials said. 

The driver, William Bart Stuart, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide while under the influence, fleeing from or eluding a peace officer and criminal endangerment. All three are felonies, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said. 

Stuart was taken to St, Peter’s Health, treated and released. He is now in the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center. He is expected to appear Monday in Justice Court in Helena, Dutton said.

The name of the woman was not released pending notification of next of kin, Dutton said.

Alcohol, drugs and speed are suspected factors in the crash, the MHP said. Road conditions were bare and dry.

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office is assisting in the investigation. Pending the results of the investigation, the case will be turned over to the county attorney's office for charges, the MHP said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family after this tragic loss," the MHP stated.

The MHP put out a news release about 10:10 a.m. Sunday outlining its pursuit policy: 

"The safety of Montanans and the traveling public is always the top priority for troopers when engaging in a pursuit," it said. "When an offender decides to elude a traffic stop, before engaging in a pursuit, the trooper and their supervisor weigh every known circumstance and continually evaluate any changing circumstances, such as location, traffic, and road conditions."

No other information was immediately available.