Jeeps goes wrong way, flips
Three Polson area residents were transported to St. Joseph Medical Center after a bad wrong way collision near the stoplight at the junction of U.S. Highway 93 and Montana Highway 35 Friday afternoon.
At approximately 12:27 p.m., two female Polson High School students returning from lunch break on MT-35 made an incorrect right turn and were headed northbound in the southbound lanes of Hwy 93.
According to Brian Kunz, civilian police assistant with Polson Police Department, the 17-year-old driver of the purple Jeep Grand Cherokee first struck the passenger side front fender of a Subaru that was waiting in the left-hand turn lane at the stoplight. Kunz said the Jeep then continued on at a considerable rate of speed and swerved before colliding with a Honda Ridgeline truck, also in the front passenger fender.
The second collision’s force combined with the rate of speed propelled the Jeep airborne, launching the sport utility vehicle off the ground with all four wheels. According to witness accounts, the Jeep went above and over a following Pontiac Grand Am that was untouched.
The Jeep came crashing down on its top, going into a slide before it was tripped back onto its side.
The driver and 16-year-old passenger of the Jeep were transported by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Medical Center with apparent minor injuries. As both students are juveniles under the age of 18, neither name will be released to the public.
The driver of the Honda truck, Patty Murrin of Polson, refused ambulance transport but was taken to the hospital by a privately owned vehicle. The Subaru driver Kathy Shore, also of Polson, was uninjured in the initial collision.
According to Kunz, who served as the crash investigator in the incident, speed was a factor in the two crashes as well as “severe inattentive” driving. Kunz added that the investigation is ongoing, but at this time authorities have no reason to believe that drugs or alcohol were factors as neither student in the vehicle was intoxicated.
The investigator explained that the driver of the vehicle is an enrolled tribal member so any citations in this case are pending.
Kunz praised assistance that Polson Police received from Montana Highway Patrol and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
“Highway 93 is one of the most dangerous highways in the state, and it was an especially tough spot there at the junction of two highways,” Kunz said.
“They were phenomenal on the scene and it helped us out tremendously.”
At approximately 1:10 p.m. on Friday another crash occurred at milepost 44.1 of Hwy 93 when a southbound Pontiac Grand Prix lost control and struck a Chevy Impala head-on in the northbound lane.
According to Trooper Tim Proctor, there was severe damage incurred to both vehicles although none of the occupants were ejected from the vehicles. Proctor said excessive speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash.
The 18-year-old Grand Prix driver Karissa Trahann was uninjured in the wreck.
Duane, 65, and Janet Olsen, 61, of Charlo were in the Impala. Janet, the passenger, was transported by ambulance to St. Luke’s Hospital in Ronan.