Kalispell woman admits to causing fatal crash on Polson bridge

A Kalispell woman admitted causing a fatal head-on crash on the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge in Polson last May.

Sarah Elizabeth Loschke, 30, entered a plea of guilty in District Court in Polson on May 22 to the amended charge of negligent homicide. She was initially charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence.

The reduced charge was part of a plea agreement signed May 14, one year and two days after the fatal crash on May 12, 2024. It calls for a joint recommendation of 15 years with the Montana Department of Corrections with all that time suspended.

Judge John A. Mercer is not bound by the agreement and he warned Loschke that there’s a chance he won’t accept the plea deal. Judge Mercer called this a serious charge that killed a man and a dog and asked Lake County Attorney James Lapokta to explain the sentencing recommendation.

Lapokta indicated that Loschke met privately with the widow of the victim, who was on board with the agreement. Judge Mercer set sentencing for July 17.

According to court records, at around 3:30 p.m. on May 12, 2024, Lake County’s 911 dispatch center received a call from a concerned citizen regarding a possibly impaired driver in a Volkswagen SUV. The Volkswagen was southbound on U.S. Highway 93 in the Elmo area.

The suspected impaired driver was reportedly driving erratically, stopping on occasion and swerved into oncoming traffic about a half a dozen times as it approached the Polson bridge. The reporting party witnessed the Volkswagen cross into oncoming traffic on the bridge and strike a northbound Toyota, driven by Arden Cowan.

Polson Police Officer Matt Gomez was the first to arrive at the crash site. He noticed smoke coming from the engine compartments of both the Volkswagen and Toyota.

Gomez attempted to extinguish the fire with a handheld fire extinguisher. Unable to put the blaze out, he cut the seat belt of the Toyota and removed Cowan to a safe distance away, before removing Loschke from the Volkswagen.

Gomez also removed a dog from the Volkswagen. The dog that was in the Toyota could not be saved due to the rapidly spreading fire, and died as a result.

Polson Fire arrived and shut down both lanes of traffic on the bridge as they extinguished the fire. The bridge reopened about two hours later. Loschke was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash.

She is at liberty after posting $100,000 bond.