Montana Highway Patrol searches for driver who seriously injured pedestrian

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Montana Highway Patrol is looking for a silver, early 2000s, Pontiac Grand Am, that was allegedly involved in a serious injury hit-and-run crash in Ravalli County Saturday night.

MHP reports that a pedestrian was hit around 10:30 p.m. Saturday on U.S. 93 just north of Woodside Crossing at mile marker 53 in Ravalli County.

The Pontiac is missing its passenger side mirror and likely have body damage to its passenger side. It was last seen traveling south on U.S. 93 towards Hamilton.

The family of the victim, Andrew Rodriguez, of Victor, says that Rodriguez was hit at 70 miles per hour by the car while on foot. His 21-year-old brother witnessed the crash.

He underwent surgery early Sunday morning at St. Patrick Medical Center in Missoula , with a rod being placed in the lower length of his leg, from his knee cap to his ankle.

It was unclear Sunday afternoon if Rodriguez would need more surgeries or what his exact recovery time would be, according to father Doug Philbrook, of Victor.

For now, the family is focusing on finding the car that hit Rodriguez.

"People don’t look, and they don’t care," Philbrook said.

Philbrook says that he lives near the crash site and its not uncommon for drivers to on U.S. 93 to not slow down.

However, even as emergency investigators used flashlights and emergency lights to slow down traffic after Rodriguez was injured, people kept coming at high speed, Rodriguez said.

"Slow down on the highway," Philbrook said. "Look on the side of the road. There are other things of the side of the road, people walking, other than people just driving... We just want to find the car that did this."

If you see a vehicle fitting this description, please contact MHP Trooper Adam Gane by phone at 406-529-3225 or via email at AGane@mt.gov.