St. Ignatius woman receives suspended sentence for fatal crash

A St. Ignatius woman who pleaded guilty last summer to vehicular homicide while under the influence was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with all but 10 days suspended, last week in Lake County District Court.

Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher sentenced Darlene Lesage, 67, on April 7. Lesage pleaded guilty to the charge last July as part of a plea agreement that recommended a 20-year sentence with all but six months of house arrest suspended.

Judge Christopher accepted the terms of an amended plea agreement that was filed last month. The plea agreement notes that the 10 days of custodial supervision recommended in the most recent plea agreement “is consistent with the victims’ express wishes.”

The case stems from a fatal two-vehicle crash in September 2020 on Highway 93 near Ravalli. According to court documents, Lesage was driving north in a black Mazda and collided head-on with a southbound vehicle. A witness told investigators that Lesage had been speeding and driving erratically.

A passenger in the vehicle was flown to a hospital in Missoula, then to Seattle, before dying from her injuries on Oct. 2, 2020. Lesage was unconscious following the crash and also was taken to a hospital, where a blood sample was taken. The State Crime Lab determined Lesage’s blood-alcohol content was 0.122.

Lesage also agreed to surrender her driver’s license and refrain from driving, except in emergencies, for the duration of her sentence. She also will be obligated to pay restitution in an amount yet to be determined and has already made an initial payment of $150,000 to the victim’s daughter.