Great Falls Woman Sentenced After Dangerous Helena Vehicle Pursuit

A district judge in Lewis and Clark County imposed concurrent prison terms on Katrina Jo Palmer of Great Falls on January 8, 2026, concluding a case that began with a high-speed stolen-vehicle pursuit through Helena in July 2024. Palmer pleaded guilty in October 2025 to felony criminal endangerment, felony theft of a light vehicle and misdemeanor fleeing from a peace officer; several other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Court documents describe dangerous driving during the July 2024 incident. According to those records, the stolen vehicle ran stoplights, entered oncoming traffic, reached nearly 70 miles per hour and allegedly made attempts to strike another vehicle and a deputy’s patrol car while traveling through Helena. Deputies later found the vehicle unoccupied and arrested Palmer and an associate nearby.

During the arrests, law enforcement recovered drug paraphernalia and a partial fentanyl pill in Palmer’s purse, items noted in court filings that helped shape the charges and the sentencing recommendations. Under the sentence imposed in early January, Palmer received concurrent terms on the felony counts that amount to an effective five-year term with part suspended contingent on compliance with court conditions, including participation in substance-abuse treatment.

Palmer’s co-defendant, Isaach John Jansen, previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of a light vehicle and received a suspended five-year sentence. The differing outcomes reflect plea negotiations and the charges each defendant ultimately accepted.

The judge emphasized rehabilitation in handing down the sentence, expressing hope that Palmer would engage with treatment programs to address substance-abuse issues and return to a law-abiding life. The court’s approach blends custody and treatment requirements, signaling a focus on both accountability and intervention for addiction-related offenses.

For residents of Lewis and Clark County, the case is a reminder of the risks posed by high-speed pursuits through populated areas and the intersection of substance abuse with criminal behavior. The sentence aims to remove an immediate public-safety threat while directing the defendant toward treatment that the court views as necessary to reduce the likelihood of future harm.