Vehicular homicide defendant pleads guilty

A Polson woman accused of killing another woman with her car last October in Lake County pleaded guilty Feb. 3 to vehicular homicide while under the influence, a felony, as part of a plea agreement in Lake County District Court.

Sharon Lyn Whitworth, 56, faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. The plea agreement calls for a sentence of 20 years in Department of Corrections custody, with 10 years suspended, and no fine. Under the agreement, Whitworth would still pay normal court fees and “restitution in an amount determined by Probation and Parole.”

District Court Judge Robert Whelan of Butte is serving as a substitute judge in the case. He is not bound by the terms of the plea agreement. Whelan set a sentencing hearing for March 24.

County dispatchers took a report of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash on Huckleberry Lane, southeast of Polson, on Oct. 31. Lake County deputies and Montana Highway Patrol troopers responded.

According to court documents, a responding deputy discovered a silver Cadillac with a deceased person underneath it and a man, later identified as Leroy Charles, near the car with a bloody face.

Charles told authorities he was finishing dinner and looked outside when he heard his dogs barking. He stated he saw a car in the field across the street from his house.

Leroy Charles and his mother, Tonya Charles, 63, of Polson, went outside and called to report a suspected drunk driver in the field. He said he had no idea how the car entered the field, and a woman inside the car was yelling and appeared to be intoxicated.

The vehicle was pushed up against a gate. A neighbor attempted to open the gate but was unsuccessful since the car was pressed against its closing mechanism. Tonya Charles approached to take a photo of the license plate with her phone.

The driver then accelerated hard, drove over the gate and ran over Tonya Charles, pinning her under the vehicle, according to the charging document.

Leroy Charles reportedly attempted to get the keys from the driver and was assaulted in the process. He then retrieved a jack from the garage and attempted to lift the car, but was unsuccessful.

Investigators later determined that Whitworth likely entered the area from Haystack Road, drove through an adjacent property and through the field to the gate. Along the way, she allegedly struck another vehicle and several trees, and ran over and killed a neighbor’s dog.

Responding officers reported Whitworth was uncooperative and refused testing at the scene. Whitworth reportedly said she had a lot to drink throughout the day. On a scale of 1 to 10, she described her level of impairment as a 10.

Whitworth was taken into custody and placed at the Lake County Detention Facility, where she’s remained since her arrest. Her bail was set at $250,000. She is being represented by public defender Elizabeth Ehret.