Sixth DUI conviction lands woman in jail

A sixth DUI conviction that left a man severely injured earlier this year has landed a Hungry Horse woman behind bars after a recent court hearing in Flathead County District Court.

Susan Hinrichs-Haynal received a 13-month sentence in the Montana Department of Corrections for her sixth driving under the influence conviction.

Hinrichs-Haynal received a recommendation for placement in the WATCH program for DUI offenders. It will be followed by a commitment to the Department of Corrections for a term of five years, suspended, with credit for eight days actual time served, and subject to several conditions.

Also, she must pay restitution in the amount of $77,842 to Butler.

Judge Robert Allison also ordered that Hinrichs-Haynal not drive a motor vehicle during the term of her sentence.

“You have no business being on the road ever again,” Allison said. “You could be in custody for the next 10 years and you’re lucky your attorney and the state agreed to this sentence.”

According to a court document, the latest offense occurred at about 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2019, when a 911 dispatcher told Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Andy Horton about a woman passed out behind the wheel of a black Ford pickup truck. The caller checked on the woman, later identified as Hinrichs-Haynal, who said she was fine and then drove off and crashed into a vehicle driven by the victim, Rodney Butler.

Trooper Horton arrived at the scene of the crash at the intersection of Montana 35 and Swan Mountain Drive, where he observed the driver of the pickup, Hinrichs-Haynal sitting on the curb. He noted she would lay down and sit back up again, and appeared to be intoxicated. The driver of the other vehicle, Butler, was taken to the hospital.

In the criminal complaint, Horton said Hinrichs-Haynal appeared to be zoned out, would either not answer or mumble when she spoke. He said he could smell the odor of alcohol on the woman, her eyes were bloodshot and watery, and she had the appearance of being highly intoxicated.

Hinrichs-Haynal said she hadn’t had anything to drink, but admitted to taking prescription medications, according to the complaint. The trooper read the advisory and requested a preliminary breath sample, but Hinrichs-Haynal refused.

When he reviewed Hinrichs-Haynal’s driving history, he discovered eight prior DUI convictions, and requested a warrant for a blood draw. A warrant was obtained and Hinrichs-Haynal was transported to the hospital where a blood sample was collected and it was forwarded to the crime lab for analysis, which later indicated it was .27, more than three times Montana’s legal limit of .08.

Butler appeared in court to testify to what happened, his injuries, loss of work and continued treatment as he works to recover from his injuries, which included his right leg and ankle and left wrist.

He said he was previously a sous chef at the Brass Tap in Kalispell and that his injuries had left him unable to work.

“I’m on my feet nine hours a day at work, but I can’t do that with these injuries,” Butler said from his self-propelled walker.

He estimated his losses, for not being able to work and for his surgeries, at $127,842.60. He said he had received $50,000 from an insurance company from a policy he had as well as one that Hinrichs-Haynal held.

Butler said he was stopped at a traffic signal as he attempted to make a right-hand turn out of an RV park. He said he waited until the signal turned green because the sun made it hard for him to see if there was any traffic.

Butler said when the light turned green he pulled out and his vehicle was slammed into by Hinrich-Haynal’s.

John Donovan, a prosecutor with the Flathead County Attorney’s Office, reported that Hinrichs-Haynal had tested positive for alcohol consumption twice since the accident, including on Aug. 8 and Oct. 14. He also said she had been admitted to the WATCH program after a 2010 DUI conviction.

According to court documents, Hinrichs-Haynal also had a 2008 conviction for a partner-family member assault that occurred in 2007 at a Kalispell grocery store. Court documents also indicated that she had two domestic violence convictions from incidents in 2005 in Washington.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.

Note: A former version of this story said it was Hinrichs-Haynal’s ninth DUI conviction; the story was corrected to say it was her sixth DUI.