A 39-year-old with a long history of driving under the influence picked up fresh felony charges in June after allegedly getting into a drunken hit-and-run in Whitefish.  

Myles Wayne Whitford faces counts of criminal child endangerment and operating with alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, seventh or subsequent offense, following his June 21 arrest in Kalispell. Held in the county jail with bail set at $300,000, Whitford is expected to appear before Judge Paul Sullivan in Flathead County District Court on July 23 for his arraignment.  

Tipped off that a motorist wanted in a Whitefish hit-and-run was in the Kalispell, police officers found Whitford at a grocery store with his child, according to court documents. Officials described Whitford as slurring and smelling of alcohol. He also boasted bloodshot eyes, court documents said.  

At the request of his probation officer, Whitford gave a preliminary breath sample, which returned at 0.156, according to court documents. He also allegedly showed signs of impairment when undergoing field sobriety tests. 

Authorities later took Whitford to a medical center for a blood draw, court documents said.  

Whitford has at least three prior driving under the influence convictions and an aggravated assault conviction in Flathead County, prosecutors wrote in the charging documents. He also has a felony partner or family member assault conviction out of Park County. 

Following Whitford's latest arrest, prosecutors filed a petition to revoke the sentence in his 2021 driving under the influence conviction. He is expected back in district court on July 14 in that case. 

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.