Woman pleads not guilty to vehicular homicide

A Whitefish woman pleaded not guilty Thursday (June 17) in Flathead County District Court to one count of felony vehicular homicide while under the influence for allegedly striking and killing a Columbia Falls girl with her vehicle on May 20.

According to police reports, Brooke Hanson, 15, was was walking westbound on the edge of the road about 9:40 p.m. at the intersection of Tamarack and 12th Avenue West North when a westbound Chrysler Town and Country driven by Jessica Adena Farbstein, 37, of Whitefish allegedly struck the teen on the left side.

Hanson was thrown into the ditch and later died from her injuries. According to social media posts, Hanson was walking home from going fishing.

Farbstein allegedly fled the scene and was later apprehended in Whitefish by police there, who noticed the damage to her vehicle from the collision.

According to court documents, Farbstein allegedly told Whitefish Police officer Chris Duke that she hit a mailbox, but then asked, “did I hit a person?”

Duke then gave Farbstein a field sobriety test where she “exhibited slow, slurred speech and glossy eyes, and her breath emitted the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.”

Farbstein also consented to a blood test.

Family members later bailed Farbstein out of jail, pending further court appearances.