A second man who was injured in a one-vehicle crash near Lodge Grass on Tuesday night has died.
Kenneth Yellowtail Jr., 41, of Wyola and Leland Vidaldriftwood, 40, of Wyola were killed in the rollover accident which happened outside of Lodge Grass.
Meanwhile, another man who was hurt in the crash is listed in critical condition.
In Custer County, Jase Henderson, 15, of Miles City was also killed in a rollover accident Tuesday night. That accident happened on Interstate 94, 10 miles east of Miles City.
(from April 8, 2009)
Tuesday was a deadly day on Montana's roads as five people died in crashes that occurred across the state. Two victims were killed in Ravalli County, two in Big Horn County and one in Custer County.
Two of the rollover accidents happened Tuesday night. leaving three people dead and one other in critical condition.
The first crash happened in Custer County, where officials tell us that a Miles City teen was killed when he rolled his vehicle over about three times just after 7:30 on Tuesday night.
Custer County Coroner Sheriff Tony Harbaugh confirmed that Jase Henderson, 15, died in the accident.
We're told that Henderson was heading eastbound near mile marker 147 on Interstate 94 at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle.
It went into a uncontrollable slide, hit the median, and then rolled over. Henderson was ejected as the vehicle came to a rest in the westbound lanes. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.
Officials say alcohol and speed were factors in the accident.
The second fatal accident happened in Big Horn County, and took the life of the driver, 41-year old Wyola man as well as one of his passengers.
Authorities say three men were traveling eastbound on Good Luck Road outside of Lodge Grass when the vehicle they were in drifted, hit an embankment, and rolled over just before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Two occupants in the vehicle were ejected in the crash and one was extracted. We're told a 51-year old Lodge Grass male and a 50-year old Wyola man were critically injured in the accident.
They were taken to Crow Agency IHS, and Big Horn County Coroner Terry Bullis says one of them died at the hospital.
Alcohol was a factor in the crash and authorities say that none of the men were wearing seat belts. Authorities have not released the names of the victims in that accident.
On the other side of the state, two people died in separate accidents along U.S. Highway 93 between Stevensville and Victor.
One of the Ravalli County victims has been identified by authorities as Michelle Strom, 59, of Victor. She died in a rollover crash after her vehicle left the road near mile marker 62 outside of Victor.
Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman told us that callers reported that the vehicle was swerving in the Victor area around 4:30, and shortly after that authorities received reports of the accident. Strom's vehicle ended up on its side in a roadside pond and the she died at the scene.
Traffic was diverted at the Stevensville Wye and Bell Crossing for a brief time as crews worked at the accident scene.
Meanwhile, a Stevensville man died Tuesday morning after his pickup truck collided head-on with a semi truck.
The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office reports that Richard Lee Marick, 67, was killed in the accident which happened just after 10:30 a.m. near mile marker 66.
Authorities say that his pickup was traveling northbound when it crossed over the center line and hit a utility semi head-on.
While the two people in the semi were okay, the driver of the pick up died on the scene.
All of those involved in that crash were wearing their seatbelts, and authorities say that alcohol and speed do not appear to have been factors in the accident.
- Staff reports from KTVQ in Billings and KPAX in Missoula
