MT Mayor Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Wilmot Collins Charged In Helena Hit-And-Run

HELENA, MT. (THECOUNT) — Helena, Montana mayor, Wilmot Collins has been charged after being accused of fleeing the scene of a vehicle accident after rear-ending another vehicle.

Collins, 55, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, has four other misdemeanor driving incidents on his record, two in 2009 and two in 2005.

A 35-year-old Butte woman reported a hit-and-run crash around 6:42 p.m. Monday. The woman told police she was driving southbound on Last Chance Gulch before stopping to turn left onto Lyndale Avenue, when she was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Collins, reports HelenAir.

The caller told police she pulled over as Collins continued west on Lyndale, but she later contacted him in a parking lot in the 300 block of Euclid Avenue. Collins provided his business card and then left before police arrived.

Police later met with both drivers, and the case was forwarded to the Lewis and Clark County Attorney’s Office due to a conflict of interest with the Helena City Attorney’s Office. The County Attorney’s Office filed the charges against Collins, who was instructed to appear in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 28.

Both vehicles had minor damage and no injuries were reported, police reported.

Collins is being charged with misdemeanor counts of careless driving and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

Geo quick facts: Helena is the state capital of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and was established in 1864 – Wikipedia.