MHRN Statement on Fatal Hit & Run Incident near Arlee

Recently, multiple community members from the Flathead area contacted the Montana Human Rights Network about reports that a woman made racist statements in the aftermath of killing an Indigenous woman in a hit-and-run incident on March 31st. 

 Based on these details and the victim’s name, MHRN found media reports detailing the death of Missoula resident Mika Westwolf, who died tragically after being struck by a vehicle near Arlee on Highway 93 near White Coyote Road. MHRN sends our love and support to the friends, family, and community who are mourning her senseless death.  

 The incident is still under investigation by the Montana Highway Patrol. Since the accident, community members have alleged that the driver of the car was a white supremacist who wanted to harm an Indigenous person. A Missing Endangered Person Advisory issued by the Montana Department of Justice notes that a woman named Sunny White was charged with vehicular homicide earlier this month and was suspected of breaking into a Butte home and illegally taking her children. Further proof is needed, but the children’s names, Aryan and Nation, likely indicate personal beliefs that align with White nationalism.  

 MHRN cannot independently verify these claims, so we call upon the Montana Highway Patrol to complete a full investigation into this incident and White’s possible motivations. If this does end up meeting the criteria for a hate crime, prosecutors should pursue it as such. White nationalists’ beliefs often lead to violence, and the people who suffer typically have been targeted with discrimination for years. In the face of this needless suffering, we call for justice and truth. 

 Westwolf’s family is posting updates on the case on this website.