Wrong-way Driving Incident Unfolds On I-90 in Missoula

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On September 10, 2025, several calls were placed to Missoula 911 reporting a wrong-way driver on Interstate 90. One of the reporting parties stated she was forced off the road near MM 96 on I-90. She said she was traveling east, towards the Wye, and was traveling in the right-hand lane when she noticed headlights in her lane of travel. To avoid a head-on collision, she had to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a crash.  

Among the officers to respond were two Montana Highway Patrol Troopers. While en route, one trooper received information from 911 that multiple callers had observed the same white sedan, which appeared to be traveling the wrong way on I-90. The callers indicated the driver was traveling west in the eastbound lane of I-90, towards Missoula.

The trooper noticed taillights and brake lights near MM 78, where he observed a vehicle matching the provided description, which was stopped in the median directly adjacent to the eastbound lanes, facing the wrong direction. The trooper observed a white Pontiac, which was occupied by a single male driver who was not wearing his seatbelt.  

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Troopers Identified the Suspect

The male driver was identified as 38-year-old Jesse Romas. The trooper asked Romas to throw the keys out the window. He was then detained. The trooper noted several opened alcoholic containers in the center console of the vehicle and further noted that Romas appeared uneasy on his feet and needed the trooper’s support so he would not fall down. 

The trooper noted the odor of a consumed alcoholic beverage coming from Romas’s person and that Romas’s eyes were extremely red, bloodshot, and watery. Romas went on to state that “he drank too much” and “had no idea where he was.”  

Romas was transported to the jail, where he was read the Implied Consent Advisory and refused. The trooper applied for and was granted a search warrant for Romas’s blood. Romas was subject to a legal blood draw and returned to jail. The trooper further found that Romas did not have a valid driver’s license and did not have proof of insurance. 

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Reports

Romas is currently being charged with felony criminal endangerment, DUI first offense, failure to wear a seatbelt, operating without liability insurance, and driving without a valid license.  

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.