GREAT FALLS — One person died and three others were injured in a one-vehicle crash in Pondera County on Monday, August 12, 2024.
It happened at about 2:30 p.m. along BIA Route near mile marker 4, near the community of Heart Butte.
The driver of the Chevy Impala was a 23-year male from Spokane, Washington. The passengers were a 19-year old male from Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada; a 17-year old male from Spokane; and an 18-year old male from Spokane.
According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the car was northbound on BIA Route 1 and entered a right-hand curve. The car crossed into the southbound lane and began slide, causing it to go off the road where it hit a delineator post.
The car then began to rotate, and the driver-side tire furrowed into the soft soil, causing it to roll twice and crash through a fence.
All four were taken to the Indian Health Service clinic in Browning.
The 19-year old male from Lethbridge died; his name has not been released at this point.
NOTE: The MHP report says the young man who died was from Lethbridge, but family members have contacted MTN News to say that he was actually from Heart Butte.
The nature and severity of the injuries sustained by the others have not been disclosed.
The MHP says that all four were wearing seatbelts, and that alcohol and speed may have been factors in the crash.
