Snow plows' quick action helped save lives

A high-speed chase on Interstate 90 near Huson could have had catastrophic consequences if it hadn’t been for the quick actions of some of employees of the Montana Department of Transportation in Alberton.

Snow plow crew members Wayne Francis, Kevin Cooper, along with Director Chris Mitchell were plowing the east-bound lane in tandem from 9-mile toward Huson when a car crossed the burrow pit from the west bound lane and headed toward oncoming traffic.

Amy Johnson, 25, was engaged in a high-speed chase with law enforcement on Thursday, Dec. 1. The chase started on North Reserve Street and continued near Frenchtown when Johnson crossed the burrow pit into the eastbound lane at speeds allegedly topping 100 mph.

Maintenance Chief Steve Felix said that when all three plows are in tandem to clear the highway, traffic cannot pass them and vehicles build up behind the plows. Eventually, the plows pulled over and traffic was clear to go by them.

On Thursday morning, the snow plow crews were aware of something happening on the road and slowed down to 5-to-10 mph, said Felix, essentially blocking Johnson’s vehicle from hitting oncoming traffic. She then veered back across the burrow pit into the westbound lanes where she was stopped by law enforcement officers.

“It was a fortuitous event,” said Felix, “the actions of the plow drivers helped save lives.”

The incident began around 10 a.m. when Missoula law enforcement located a 2003 silver Dodge Intrepid that had been reported as stolen. When a deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, Johnson fled and headed onto Interstate 90.

In an attempt to stop her, a Highway Patrol Trooper set stop sticks at mile marker 92. Johnson attempted to avoid the sticks and that’s when she drove through the burrow pit into the eastbound lane. While in that lane she forced approximately 15 vehicles off the road, according to court reports.

It was then when she came up against the snow plows and drove back over the burrow pit onto the west bound lane and attempted to drive up a ramp. But instead, she ended up down in a ditch on the north side of the highway, where she was apprehended.

While removing Johnson from the vehicle, deputies allegedly found a syringe still in her arm. She allegedly confessed that she had injected herself with meth during the high-speed chase. According to the court report, she said she had fled because she believed that she was wanted on previous drug-related charges.

Johnson has been charged with felony possession of dangerous drugs, criminal endangerment and tampering with evidence, as well as misdemeanor charges of theft, fleeing from a peace officer and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.