HELENA — William Bart Stuart of Helena is accused of causing the death of a woman while driving under the influence following a Saturday night crash in East Helena..
Stuart, 52 years old, made his initial appearance in Lewis & Clark County Justice Court on Monday. He has been charged with felony vehicular homicide while under the influence, felony criminal endangerment, and felony fleeing or eluding a peace officer, causing serious bodily injury or death.
Madelyn Heath reports - watch the video:
The incident began with the Montana Highway Patrol, but the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.
"The in-car camera found that consistent with the statement of the trooper, and thus far we are not finding anything that is alarming," said Sheriff/Coroner Leo Dutton.
According to court documents, a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper reported seeing an Audi A7 strike a curb while traveling east on Canyon Ferry Road. The trooper activated their patrol lights around 11:00 p.m. to conduct a traffic stop near Musselshell Road.
The car stopped on Musselshell Road, and a passenger exited the vehicle. The Audi continued on Musselshell Road before turning onto Lake Helena Drive. At that point, the trooper activated their siren.
The trooper told a Lewis and Clark County Deputy that the vehicle accelerated away, and the trooper observed his radar display 115 miles per hour. The trooper stated they were too far away to observe the crash, but could see the brake lights briefly activate before the intersection of Lake Helena Drive and Old Highway 12.
The car crashed through the fence and the side of a home at the intersection.
Dutton told MTN that 69-year-old Terry Lamping was killed in the home, and a 76-year-old man was critically injured. The man has been taken to an advanced care facility.
The report from the Sheriff's deputy stated Stuart was then seen getting out of the car and collapsing to the ground. He was initially taken to St. Peter's Health for treatment.
Once medically cleared, Stuart was taken to the Lewis & Clark County Detention Center for processing.
Court documents also stated that the passenger of the Audi later told law enforcement they had witnessed Stuart drinking "14 to 15" alcoholic beverages that night before driving them home from a bar.
Stuart has four DUI convictions.
On Monday, Justice of the Peace Mark Piskolich set Stuart's bail at $500,000. An arraignment in state district court is scheduled for December 16, 2025.
MTN contacted the Montana Highway Patrol for clarification about some aspects of the chase.
The MHP responded that no one was available for an interview, but did provide the following statement about their policy:
The safety of Montanans and the traveling public is always the top priority for troopers when engaging in a pursuit. 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.
MHP also stated their troopers initiate approximately 100 high-speed chases per year.
