Newell man pleads not guilty to DUI death in MT crash

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A 65-year-old South Dakota man has denied charges that he was driving drunk in July and caused a crash in southwestern Montana that killed a Wisconsin woman.

Garry Lee Griffin of Newell pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide while under the influence during a hearing Monday before District Judge Mike Salvagni in Bozeman. Griffin was arrested late last week.

Prosecutors allege Griffin was ran a stop sign west of Bozeman and pulled in front of a pickup truck which struck the passenger side of the car.

The collision killed 49-year-old Corene Krubsack of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

Court records say Griffin told investigators he didn't know Krubsack, but believed she had been hitchhiking. Tests showed Griffin's blood-alcohol level was 0.179, or more than twice the legal limit, about 40 minutes after the crash.

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