A Whitefish motorist suspected of running over the foot of a construction zone flagger in June is now up on a felony charge.  

Jordan Keeling Porter, 39, pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal endangerment before Judge Danni Coffman in Flathead County District Court on Aug. 6. If convicted, Porter faces up to 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine.  

Porter was allegedly behind the wheel of a white Toyota pickup truck that struck the flagger while driving near the intersection of Twin Bridges Road and U.S. 93 on June 3. She told Montana Highway Patrol troopers that the Toyota sped up before running over her stop paddle and foot before taking off down Twin Bridges Road and later turning onto KM Ranch Road, according to court documents.  

The flagger, who suffered a broken foot and was later hospitalized, said she was wearing an orange helmet and bright orange construction shirt at the time.  

Other bystanders, including the victim's colleagues, tried to stop the driver, but to no avail, court documents said. One snapped a photo of the vehicle, capturing its license plate, and turned it over to the authorities. 

Armed with the license plate information, troopers tracked the pickup back to Porter, according to court documents. During a phone call with investigators, Porter allegedly acknowledged driving the vehicle, but maintained he did not strike anyone with it.   

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.