A 23-year-old woman was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of criminal endangerment in connection with the deaths of two sisters in a one-vehicle crash on East Airport Road nearly a year ago.
Kai Taylor Redstar was arraigned in Yellowstone County District Court Monday.
According to charging documents filed April 29 by Deputy County Attorney Victoria Callender, Redstar was driving a Dodge Durango in the early hours of May 7, 2025, when she lost control and rolled the vehicle multiple times.
The two sisters, Alicia Half, 16, and Alexia Half, 18, both Billings residents, were thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Neither were wearing a seat belt.
Upon arriving at the crash scene, police said they found Redstar hysterically yelling at one of the sisters to wake up, according to the charging document. An officer allegedly smelled alcohol on her breath, and she had bloodshot eyes, according to charging documents.
Another passenger, a 20-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital for treatment for back pain.
Redstar agreed to provide a blood sample, and her blood-alcohol content was 0.182 percent, more than double the legal limit in Montana, according to charging documents.
She told police she had drunk about two-thirds of a bottle of R&R whiskey before driving. Police also found empty bottles of alcohol in and around the vehicle.
Redstar also said she believed her speed was between 35 and 45 miles per hour, but police believed she was likely going at least 55.
Following autopsies, investigators determined Alicia and Alexia Half both died of blunt force trauma from the crash.
Related: Sisters identified as victims of fatal Billings crash
