Kalispell Man Charged in Fatal Columbia Falls Wreck Pleads Not Guilty
Tyler Lee Eaton, 36, was charged with one felony count of vehicular homicide while under the influence in the 2023 crash
By Maggie Dresser
A 36-year-old Kalispell man charged with killing his passenger in a single-vehicle crash near Columbia Falls in November of 2023 pleaded not guilty Thursday to a felony count of vehicular homicide while under the influence.
Tyrel Lee Eaton entered the plea during a July 17 arraignment hearing in Flathead County District Court before Judge Paul Sullivan.
The defendant is currently detained at the Flathead County Detention Center, where he has been since his arrest on July 7, 2025. He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
According to charging documents, Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) was dispatched to a single-vehicle crash on Nov. 1, 2023 just after midnight near Halfmoon Road north of Stoltze Lumber and the BNSF railway crossing.
Upon arrival, the trooper observed both occupants outside of the vehicle, later identifying them as Eaton and a 53-year-old man who was declared deceased on the scene.
Eaton was reportedly severely injured in the crash and was receiving medical care from first responders when law enforcement arrived. The deceased victim was outside the vehicle near the front passenger area, records state.
The trooper’s investigation revealed Eaton’s Subaru Impreza was traveling northbound on Halfmoon Road when it failed to negotiate a right-turning curve leading to the railway crossing. The vehicle then crossed the centerline and veered off the roadway to the left, down a steep embankment.
Evidence on the scene suggested the passenger was partially ejected during the crash and there was apparent blood on the passenger side windshield and exterior hood. Both airbags deployed during the crash and had blood on them. The driver’s side had significantly more blood than the passenger side, according to documents.
A witness told law enforcement that Eaton, who smelled strongly of alcohol, and the passenger were both outside the vehicle when he arrived on the scene. Eaton told the witness the deceased victim was driving when the crash occurred.
A DNA analysis matched Eaton’s blood to the driver-side airbag while the deceased victim’s blood matched the passenger side airbag along with the blood on the windshield and hood.
The MHP trooper later learned from Blue Moon Bar employees that Eaton and his companion were drinking at the bar earlier that night and left the bar around midnight on Halloween.
Eaton was transported to Logan Health for medical treatment where a blood sample revealed 0.173 grams per 100 milliliters of ethanol and 2.5 nanograms per milliliter of THC.
Eaton is scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 13, 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in the Montana State Prison and a maximum fine of $50,000.