Man Arrested For Placing Large Rocks on a Montana Highway

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On September 24th, 2024, a Missoula County Sheriff's Office deputy was dispatched to a report of a male placing large rocks in the middle of the road on Hwy. 10 E. The deputy called the reporting party who stated he regularly travels along Hwy. 10 E. He said he has noticed branches and rocks placed in the roadway multiple times in the past that force vehicles to swerve out of their lane. 

The caller noted that on prior occasions he noticed that there was a white balding male along the road during these times. He stated that he and his passenger were traveling west on Hwy. 10 E near Karra Court. He said they hit a large one-foot by one-foot rock with their vehicle.  

This caused significant damage to the undercarriage of the vehicle. He noticed the same male from the instances before standing along the roadway about 100 yards from where he stopped after hitting the rock. 

He called out to the male who started to run east alongside the highway toward Turah Pines. He thought that the rocks were placed on both sides of a hill on the highway where a vehicle would not have much time to see the rocks and avoid them. 

The deputy found the male outside a residence in the 12300 block of Hwy. 10 E. He was identified as 35-year-old Luke Charlton. Ultimately, Charlton admitted that he did place the rocks in the road. Charlton was then placed under arrest and was transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility.  

Then a Montana Highway Patrol trooper responded to the scene and spoke to the male who hit the rock. He said the impact was violent enough to lift the front of the vehicle and force him into the oncoming lane of travel.  

According to court documents, deputies estimated the damage to the vehicle to exceed $1,500. The trooper found two other vehicles that may have had damage caused by the rocks in the road.  

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

Charlton is currently being charged with two felony counts of criminal endangerment and criminal mischief. His bond was set at $250,000. 

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