Drunk Driver Crashes at One of Missoula’s Busiest Intersections

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On January 1, 2024, at approximately 3:33 p.m., a Missoula Police Department Officer and crash investigator responded to a collision at the Wheat Montana parking lot at the intersection of S. 3rd St. W. and Reserve Street. A vehicle driven by 60-year-old Shelley Hinker rear-ended another vehicle at the intersection and they pulled into the parking lot to wait for police.  

About five minutes before, Hinker’s vehicle had been called in by a concerned citizen for a report of a possibly intoxicated driver. The complainant followed Hinker from the Wye to the intersection and observed her swerving all over the road. At one point, she drove over a median on Reserve Street.  

According to court documents, Hinker admitted that she drank a box of wine that day and officers could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her. Hinker said she bought the box of wine in Eureka and drank it while driving back to Missoula. The box of wine was sitting near the center console. 

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The officer conducted a DUI investigation and administered standardized field sobriety tests. Hinker exhibited 15 out of 18 possible clues of impairment. She agreed to a PBT test which was positive for alcohol. She was placed under arrest and read the implied consent advisory. At the jail, she provided a breath sample of .217 BAC. The officer later learned that Hinker has four prior DUI convictions. 

She is currently being charged with felony DUI. Her case was filed directly to District Court and her bond was set at $25,000. 

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