In a tragic incident that has shocked the community, a 28-year-old Montana mother has been arrested for allegedly striking and killing a young Native American woman while under the influence of methamphetamine. The suspect, identified as Sunny White, had her two young children, Aryan Holmes and Nation Holmes, in the vehicle at the time of the incident.

According to reports, the incident occurred in the early hours of March 31, 2023, on Highway 93 near Arlee. The victim, 22-year-old Mika Westwolf, was walking along the highway when she was fatally hit by a Cadillac Escalade driven by White.

The arrest of Sunny White took place in Flathead County on Friday, on a warrant out of Lake County. She has been charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence and faces additional charges including accidents involving another person or deceased person, two counts of criminal child endangerment, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

During the investigation, it was discovered that White's Cadillac contained methamphetamine, syringes, and two unopened packages of Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. A blood test revealed the presence of methamphetamine and fentanyl in White's system at the time of the crash.

The tragic incident sparked a seven-month-long investigation, during which the family of Mika Westwolf launched a statewide campaign to raise awareness of her case and shed light on the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women. The family demanded that White be held accountable for her actions.

The grief-stricken mother of the victim, Carissa Heavy Runner, expressed her relief upon hearing about White's arrest. She had been tirelessly advocating for justice for her daughter and other Indigenous women who have suffered similar fates.

The circumstances leading up to the fatal collision remain unclear. Westwolf and her brother were returning from a bar in Ravalli when, for an unknown reason, she got out of the car near North Valley Creek and walked away, leaving her phone behind. Around 4 a.m., Tribal Officer T.J. Haynes discovered Westwolf's body on Highway 93, surrounded by car debris.

Approximately an hour later, a Lake County sheriff's deputy noticed a damaged gold 2008 Cadillac Escalade parked near Polson. White was seen transferring items from the damaged vehicle to another car and told the deputy that she had hit a deer and failed to stop.

White later told a Montana Highway Patrol trooper that she was driving with her two children from Butte to Kalispell for the weekend. She denied consuming alcohol and claimed that she had not used methamphetamine or fentanyl in a week.

The impact of the collision was devastating, with Westwolf being thrown in the air before succumbing to multiple blunt-force injuries. In response to her tragic death, Westwolf's family initiated the "Mika Matters" movement, calling for justice through protests and awareness walks.

Earlier this year, a petition on MoveOn.org demanded the Justice Department's intervention in the investigation, citing alleged uncooperativeness and delays from local authorities. Following Sunny White's arrest, Westwolf's family released a statement expressing that this is just the beginning of their fight for justice.

Sunny White is scheduled to appear in court for her arraignment on Wednesday, where she will face the charges brought against her. The community continues to mourn the loss of Mika Westwolf, while seeking justice for her and working towards a safer future for Indigenous people and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.