Ronan students in fatal crash

By Ali Bronsdon / Leader Staff

A giant pot hole seems to be to blame for a fatal crash involving four Ronan High School students, which occured Monday around 5:35 p.m. on Moss Creek Ranch Road near Ronan. The driver of the vehicle, eighteen-year-old Allison Crenshaw, was pronounced dead on the scene approximately one hour later due to blunt force trauma to the head.

According to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Terry Rosenbaum, the group was on its way back to Ronan after swimming at the rope swing south of Sloan's Bridge. According to Rosenbaum, when the 1989 Jeep Cherokee hit the large pot hole heading north on the dirt road, the back-end of the vehicle got away from her, causing it to go up an embankment and roll onto the driver's side. Neither Crenshaw nor the passengers were wearing seatbelts.

Ronan ambulance, Ronan Fire Dept., Montana Highway Patrol and Tribal Fish and Game responded.

The jaws of life were needed to extricate Crenshaw from the vehicle, which took about 20 to 25 minutes. According to Rosenbaum, she was unconcious, but did have a heart beat, so CPR was performed.

"She was still showing some signs of life when they called CARE (Community Hospital in Missoula), but when the helicopter arrived, there was not much they could do," said Dan Bates, Deputy Coroner for Sanders County.

Alcohol was not involved and speed does not look like it was a factor, said Bates.

The three passengers were taken to St. Lukes Hospital in Ronan with minor injuries.