Wrong-Way Driver Nearly Hits Vehicles on Highway 93 in Missoula (2024)

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - At approximately 11:28 p.m. on July 29, 2024, a Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was dispatched to a wrong-way driver near the 87 Mile Marker of Highway 93 South. Dispatch told the deputy they had received two 911 calls regarding a truck driving northbound in the southbound lane. This section of the highway is divided by a center concrete median known as “the China wall”.

One of the callers informed dispatch that the suspect vehicle had almost side-swiped his vehicle. He believed the vehicle was a Dodge Ram truck and it had an illuminated white lightbar on the front grill. He said he was driving south on Highway 93 and that his younger brother was driving directly behind him. He said that he first noticed the wrong way driving when he saw headlights coming toward him.

At first, he thought the headlights were on the other side of the barrier in the correct lane, however, as it drove closer, herealized that the vehicle was coming directly at him on the wrong side of the concrete barrier. Heswerved over to the shoulder to avoid the vehicle as it passed him. Then helooked in his rear-view mirror and observed the vehicle nearly sideswipe his younger brother’s vehicle, missing by approximately 1 foot.

The Deputy Found the Suspect Vehicle

The deputy passed the suspect vehicle on Buckhouse Bridge. He performed a U-Turn on Highway 93 South and observed that the vehicle was already passing the Miller Creek intersection. The deputy accelerated and could observe the vehicle swerving between the two northbound driving lanes. The deputygot close enough to the vehicle and activated his overhead lights. The vehicle pulled to the right side of the road and stopped.

The deputy approached the vehicle on the passenger side and observed that the vehicle was occupied solely by the driver. The deputycould smell the odor of burnt marijuana emitting from the vehicle. The driver identified himself as 50-year-old Terrill Morton. The deputy was able to observe that Mortonhad “pinpoint” pupils. Morton started digging around in the center console for his registration and appeared to have trouble controlling his finger dexterity.

The deputy inquired about Morton’s driving behavior, and he stated that he was extremely tired after a long day at work. The deputy began a DUI investigation and asked Morton to exit the vehicle. The deputy asked Morton if he had anything to drink tonight and he stated no. The deputytold Mortonthat he would like to conduct standard field sobriety tests to see if he was impaired. Mortonadvised he wouldn’t do any other field sobriety tests other than a breath test.

Suspect Admits to Smoking Marijuana

The deputy asked Morton when he realized he was driving on the wrong side of the highway. According to court documents, Morton told the deputy that he was not on the wrong side of the road and that he was going in the direction of traffic. The deputy asked Morton if he had consumed any drugs today and he said that he smoked marijuana approximately six hours prior.

As the deputy was speaking to Morton, a vehicle arrived on the scene and the passenger started yelling out of the window “That’s the truck that almost hit us.” A Corporal walked up to the vehicle and spoke to the occupants. They said they had to pull off the road to avoid being hit and believed they would die. The driver described it as the scariest moment of her life.

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Reports

At that time, the deputy placed Mortonunder arrest. The deputy searched Mortonincident to arrest and located a red vape pen in his right shorts pocket. Morton told the deputythat it was a THC pen and that he had a marijuana blunt inside the passenger compartment of his vehicle.

Morton is currently being charged with felony criminal endangerment, DUI first offense, driving on the wrong side of a divided highway, and unlawful possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle on the highway. His bond was set at $20,000.

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.