Woman Crashes Into a Missoula Garage, Charged With Felony DUI
Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On March 24, 2023, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper responded to a single-vehicle crash on Greenwood Court. Upon his arrival, he found a vehicle that had struck a small garage, causing damage. The owner of the garage reported to the trooper that they believed the driver was impaired. The trooper found the owner of the vehicle and identified her as 36-year-old Jamie Kocher.
The trooper spoke with Kocher and found her speech was low, slow, and slurred. He further noted that Kocher seemed disoriented and had difficulty responding to questions. The trooper explained the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests to Kocher and asked her to walk to the front of his car. According to the trooper, Kocher was very unsteady and she was only able to take about a half step at a time to avoid losing her balance.
Kocher stated she had not been drinking, but had taken a prescription she had recently been prescribed. Kocher hen provided the trooper with a prescription for Chlordiazepoxide. The trooper did not continue with testing due to the weather conditions and Kocher being unsteady on her feet. The trooper decided to transport Kocher to the Missoula County Detention Center, where he instructed her in the other SFSTs.
Kocher was unable to complete the One Leg Stand. During the walk and turn, Kocher immediately lost her balance and was so unsteady on her feet that she was unable to conclude the testing. The trooper read Kocher the Implied Consent Advisory. Kocher agreed to provide a blood sample and participate in a Drug Influence Evaluation.
Kocher was transported to St. Patrick Hospital, where a blood draw was conducted. Following this, Kocher was transported to the Montana Highway Patrol Office where a Drug Influence Evaluation was completed. At the conclusion of the evaluation, the trooper opined that Kocher was under the influence of a CNS Depressant and was not safe to operate a motor vehicle. According to court documents, Kocher has three prior DUI convictions and one prior insurance conviction.
Kocher is currently being charged with felony DUI, which is a fourth or subsequent offense, and operating without liability insurance, a second offense.
The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.