By Josh Margolis
HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – A Havre woman has been charged with deliberate homicide after a Montana Highway Patrol investigation into a fatal crash in January.
Jolee Lyn Landgraf, 29, was charged for her alleged role in a two-vehicle head-on crash on January 18th that killed 73-year-old Loretta Park of Havre.
The crash occurred at around noon on US Highway 2 at mile marker 387, just east of Havre, when an eastbound Dodge Dakota being driven by Landgraf struck a westbound Honda Accord driven by Park head-on.
Park, who was wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene of blunt force trauma to the head. Landgraf, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from her vehicle and transported to Northern Montana Hospital for treatment and was subsequently flown to Benefis Hospital in Great Falls.
Court documents state that Landgraf consented to a blood draw. Toxicology reports found that Landgraf had amphetamine, methamphetamine, lidocaine and THC in her system at the time of the crash.
Trooper Matt Erickson interviewed Landgraf at Northern Montana Hospital. Court documents state that Landgraf told Erickson she purposely swerved into oncoming traffic. Erickson asked Landgraf to clarify, and she repeated that she purposely swerved into oncoming traffic.
Landgraf was served with a warrant on the morning of March 26th and was transported to the the Hill County Detention Center, where she is being held on $500,000 bond.
Landgraf’s arraignment was scheduled for 9:30 AM on March 29th in Hill County District Court, but has been moved to April 19th at 9:30 AM. This is because, according to the defense team, Landgraf recently underwent an emergency, non-elective surgery in Great Falls, making her unavailable for Monday’s hearing.
This post has been updated following Monday morning’s court hearing
