GREAT FALLS — Amber Marie Burnett is facing a felony charge in connection with a deadly crash that happened in Cascade County on Saturday, August 9, 2025.
The crash happened at about 9:50 p.m. near the intersection of US Highway 89 and Hughesville Road, just south of Monarch.
According to the Montana Highway Patrol, a Jeep Wrangler driven by Burnett was westbound on Hughesville Road and she failed to negotiate a curve.
She then over-corrected and the Jeep went off the right side of the road, rolling several times and coming to rest in a creek bed.
The passenger, a 19-year old man from Great Falls, died at the scene. His name has not been released at this point.
Burnett was taken to Benefis Health System in Great Falls; the nature and extent of her injuries has not been disclosed.
According to the MHP, the man who died was wearing a seatbelt; the report states it is "unknown" whether Burnett was wearing a seatbelt.
The MHP report says that impaired driving and speed were factors in the crash.
On Monday, court documents were filed charging Burnett with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
The charging documents state that Burnett told investigators that she pulled the passenger from the Jeep and began chest compressions.
She stopped rendering aid and grabbed one of the two packs of Twisted Tea in the vehicle and asked a nearby witness to take the alcohol.
Burnett said that she told the witness that she was not allowed to have alcohol because she was currently on probation, and asked the witness to call emergency services.
The court documents state that Burnett went back to the Jeep and grabbed the second pack of Twisted Tea and threw it toward the creek bottom.
Both packs of Twisted Tea were recovered by Sheriff's deputies.
According to court documents, at the time of the crash, Burnett was on probation for assault on a minor (2019) and perjury (2019).
