Driver changes pleas to two vehicular felonies

PINEDALE (WNE) —  Natalie R. Pilon, of Pinedale and Montana, pleaded no contest on Thursday, April 13, to two of four felony charges resulting from a Oct. 30, 2021 deliberate collision with a semi hauling a fully loaded logging trailer. 
 
Pilon was seriously injured, as was the logging truck’s driver; both were life-flighted from the scene several miles west of Pinedale. Another driver was slightly injured. 
 
Highway 191 was closed while cranes removed the full length logs from the road. 
 
Pilon was charged with intentional or reckless aggravated assault and battery and property destruction, both felony charges. 
 
Former Sublette County Judge Curt Haws set her release at $250,000 signature bond with terms that let her live in Billings with her mother. 
 
On Jan. 23 before 9th District Court Judge Kate McKay, Pilon pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness to the charges against her. Her jury trial was set for May 8. 
 
The April 13 change-of-plea hearing was originally set as a pretrial conference. 
 
Sublette County Deputy Attorney Adrian Kowalski, White and Pilon reached a plea agreement that if Pilon pleaded no contest to the two counts,  Kowalski could ask the judge to impose concurrent sentences of eight to 10 years in prison but would not oppose White’s recommendations of youthful offender treatment and probation. 
 
Pilon told the judge she suffers from mental illness and constant physical pain, sees a psychiatrist and takes prescribed medications that “make me think like a normal person.” 
 
Judge McKay ordered a pre-sentence investigation, a restitution plan and a victim impact statement for Pilon's as-yet unscheduled sentencing hearing in about 75 days. 
 
This story was published on April 18, 2023.