26 year-old Daniel Grady appeared in Missoula Justice Court on Tuesday, charged with negligent homicide in the hit and run death of 22 year-old Rebecca Grace Romero early Sunday morning near Lowell School.

Deputy Missoula County Attorney Brittany Williams asked Judge Marie Andersen for bail of $100,000.

“This defendant struck and killed a woman who was crossing at the crosswalk after he moved from the westbound to the eastbound lane,” said Williams. “He struck her, and she ultimately died from blunt force trauma to the head and torso. He then left the scene and did not return. He did not inform law enforcement, and additionally, he attempted to get his friends, who were also in the vehicle, not to contact law enforcement.”

Williams said there were indications that alcohol was involved in the fatal incident.

Missoula Police deployed their SWAT team to apprehend Grady early Sunday morning at his home at the Cedar Village apartment complex on North Russell Street, where, according to court records, he was with several friends who were in the pickup truck when the fatal hit and run occurred. Investigators saw several containers of ‘White Claw’ inside the vehicle.

Grady was arrested and taken to the Missoula County Jail on charges of negligent homicide and failure to remain at the accident scene where a person was killed or seriously wounded, both felonies. Negligent homicide carries a sentence of 20 years in the Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine, and leaving the scene carries a term of up to 10 years and a $50,000 fine.

Grady’s attorney is Bryan Tipp, who appeared in Justice Court before Judge Andersen. He said $100,000 bail was too high, and requested that Grady be placed on pretrial supervision.

Judge Andersen set bail at $100,000, and ordered Grady to appear again on July 3.

 

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