Sunny White pleaded not guilty to charges related to the death of Mika Westwolf, who was hit by White’s vehicle while walking along Highway 93 in March 2023. White is charged with vehicular homicide under the influence and other felonies. A trial is scheduled for May 2024. KRTV NEWS Great Falls reported
Sunny White, who allegedly struck Mika Westwolf with her vehicle near Arlee earlier this year, entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, during an arraignment in Lake County District Court. The incident resulted in the tragic death of Westwolf, who was walking along Highway 93 in March 2023. The collision occurred near White Coyote Road, just outside of Arlee.
White is facing multiple charges, including vehicular homicide while under the influence, accidents involving another person or deceased person, two counts of criminal child endangerment, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs. She was arrested on October 20, 2023, on an extra-jurisdiction warrant and spent the weekend in Flathead County Jail before being bonded out on Sunday.
According to an affidavit filed on Monday, the events leading to the hit-and-run unfolded in the early hours of March 31, 2023. Tribal Police Officer T.J. Haynes discovered vehicle debris and Westwolf’s body while patrolling north of Arlee on Highway 93 at approximately 4:15 a.m. The victim was later identified as Mika Westwolf. Just over an hour later, at 5:23 a.m., a deputy from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office noticed a gold 2008 Cadillac Escalade parked near Polson with front-end damage and a missing passenger side rear-view mirror, matching the description of the vehicle debris found at the scene.
The deputy observed Sunny White transferring items from the damaged Escalade to another car. White claimed that her vehicle was overheating and she had called a friend for assistance. According to the affidavit, White stated that she had hit a deer but did not stop because she was passing a bottle to her baby and did not see the deer. The affidavit also revealed that White had her two children, 4-year-old Aryan and 2-year-old Nation, in the car at the time of the incident.
In her statement to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Tyler Dager, White denied using alcohol and stated that she had not used methamphetamine or fentanyl in a week. She explained that she swerved to the left on the highway, assuming she had hit a deer. The vehicle was subsequently seized and towed away. MHP Trooper Wayne Bieber examined the crash scene and concluded that Westwolf was walking in the northbound lane of travel or near the fog line when she was struck by the suspect vehicle. The impact caused Westwolf’s body to be propelled closer to the north side of the road, resulting in her death from multiple blunt force injuries.
During the investigation, troopers interviewed Westwolf’s brother, Davian Howard, who revealed that they had visited a bar in the Ravalli area that evening. On their way back to Arlee, they stopped near North Valley Creek, approximately five miles north of the crash scene, where Westwolf left her phone in the vehicle and walked away. Howard was unable to locate his sister and left her a voicemail at 1:13 a.m.
Cellphone data indicated that White had left Butte around midnight, passed through Missoula at 2:45 a.m., and arrived at the crash scene at 3 a.m. After obtaining a search warrant for White’s vehicle, investigators discovered methamphetamine, five syringes, and two unopened packages of Narcan. A blood sample taken from White tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl.
In the wake of Westwolf’s death, her family established the “Mika Matters” movement to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and advocate for justice in her case.
Sunny White is currently facing charges of vehicular homicide under the influence, accidents involving another person or deceased person, two counts of criminal child endangerment, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs. A jury trial is scheduled to commence on May 6, 2024..