Woman charged with vehicular homicide of Native American woman; children were in the car

A Montana woman has been charged in the death of a Native American woman who authorities said was run over and left to die on the side of the road.

Sunny Kathrinne White, 28, was arrested Saturday and charged with five felonies, including vehicular homicide while under the influence, in connection with the death of Mika Josephine Westwolf, 22, in March, People reported.

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According to charging documents, White and her two children, Aryan, 4, and Nation, 2, were in the car with her at the time of the crash, the Missoulian reports.

According to an affidavit obtained by People, Westwolf was walking home on Highway 93 outside of Arlee, Montana, at 4:15 a.m. when she was struck.

In addition to the homicide charge, White was charged with accidents involving another person or deceased person, two counts of criminal child endangerment, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

She was arrested on an extra-jurisdiction warrant.

“Evidence from the scene indicates that Westwolf was walking in the northbound lane of travel near the fog line when she was struck by the suspect vehicle,” the affidavit states.

Later that morning, a deputy with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office saw a gold 2008 Cadillac Escalade with damage on the front and a missing passenger side mirror, according to the affidavit, KRTV reported.

The damage to the Escalade allegedly matched the description of the vehicle debris found at the scene, investigators said.

The deputy saw a woman, later identified as White, and asked her what happened to the vehicle. She said she had hit a deer but did not remember where it happened.

White “claimed she was passing a bottle back to her baby and didn’t see the deer,” the affidavit read.

Court records claimed that White was taking items from the Escalade and putting them into another vehicle.

According to the deputy, White denied using alcohol and said she “hadn’t used methamphetamine or fentanyl in a week,” the affidavit states.

According to KRTV, Westwolf’s family released a statement on Friday, saying, “As we mark seven months since Mika’s tragic passing, it is essential to acknowledge that this arrest is just the beginning of the journey towards justice.

“The fight to seek accountability, raise awareness, and protect the lives of Indigenous people and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives remains an ongoing battle.

“Our hearts go out to the families who are still searching for their loved ones, and we remain deeply saddened by the fact that Native Americans continue to go missing at an alarming rate. The urgency to address this issue has never been greater.”