Pablo man killed in high-speed crash
PABLO — A 20-year-old Pablo man was killed in a high-speed vehicle crash on Skyline Road on Saturday afternoon, as he was apparently being chased by a man in another vehicle.
According to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Shad Andersen, Brice Kinsley Adamson was traveling southbound on Skyline at 12:49 p.m. at an excessively high rate of speed when he crossed a bridge about one-tenth of a mile north of Light Road, lost control and veered off the road. Adamson’s Chrysler hit the bank, flipped and rolled.
The driver was ejected from the car — as he was not wearing a seatbelt — and the car reportedly landed on top of him after rolling. Trooper Andersen said when he arrived on scene the vehicle was flipped over in the bank smoking, upside down and on top of Adamson.
The trooper added that the road surface of the bridge the victim was crossing is “sunk down,” this factor, combined with the excessive speed, is believed to be the primary cause of the fatal accident. The location of the accident was on a paved county road that runs northeast of Plum Creek.
Blood test results sent to the crime lab are pending as to whether the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
Mickey Wolf, 23, of Pablo was arrested in connection to the fatal crash and is being charged with felony criminal endangerment, Montana’s legal equivalent to manslaughter.
According to Lake County Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Mike Sargeant, Adamson allegedly threw a brick through the back window of Wolf’s vehicle and sped off, which led to Wolf pursuing the victim in his vehicle. Lt. Sargeant said Wolf was believed to be a significant distance behind Adamson when he the crash occurred and there was reportedly no contact between the two vehicles involved in the chase.
Sargeant added that the two men did know each other, but could not speak to the conflict between the men as the case is still under investigation.
Those charged with criminal endangerment have engaged in conduct that creates serious risk of injury or death to another individual. The maximum penalty for the charge includes up to 10 years in prison and up to $50,000 in fines.
When asked if an individual was allowed to pursue someone for property damage in the fashion Wolf did — even if only to retrieve a license plate number or alike information — Lt. Sargeant pointed out that the two men already knew each other and that Wolf should have called the authorities and reported Adamson instead of taking action.
“The best thing to do in this sort of situation is call us, and he elected not to do so,” Sargeant said.
The victim Adamson grew up and attended local schools in Pablo, Ronan and Polson.