Fatal accident kills one in Polson
Emergency personnel work to load a man injured in an accident Wednesday afternoon in Polson. The man was dragged by his truck and camper, visible in the background.
A tanker truck waiting at the light on Hwy 35 stopped the momentum of the camper and truck, which dragged its driver. The tanker had just finished unloading 10,000 gallons of jet fuel at the Kalispell airport.
Police work to spray paint the area where the trucks wheels ended up after the incident. A man was dragged between the camper and truck when the brakes went out during an inspection on Hwy 35.
POLSON - One man was killed Wednesday afternoon in a freak accident at the intersection of Montana Highway 35 and U.S. Highway 93 in Polson.
Henry Matter, of Polson, would have turned 85 next month, said deputy coroner Michael Gehl. Cause of death was pronounced as blunt force trauma.
According to witnesses of the 12:50 p.m. incident, a man driving a Dodge Ram 2500 hauling a Travel Supreme fifth wheel camper, couldn't get started at the light at the intersection of the two major roadways in Polson. After two or three light cycles, the man exited the white pickup to inspect the connection between his truck and trailer. At some point, the brakes disengaged, pulling down the man and dragging him for about 10 or 15 feet before the back of his camper collided with a tanker truck waiting at the light behind him. The tanker had just finished unloading 10,000 gallons of jet fuel at the Kalispell airport. The collision occurred across from Century 21 and Safeway on Hwy 35.
Witnesses at the scene were visibly shaken at having seen the accident. Kelly Potter, of Pablo, had just turned onto Hwy 35 off of Hwy 93 and was right next to the truck as the vehicle rolled.
"It drug him by the axel, ripped his clothes off and then the dual wheels on the back ran over him," said Potter, who called 911 immediately and checked his pulse. "He tried to crawl out but I told him to stay there, and then he was in and out of consciousness. My dad was a cop and I've worked a few wrecks, but this, it's just not right."
Emergency personnel performed CPR on scene before the ambulance rushed off to St. Joseph Medical Center where he was prounced dead a short while later. Potter said the man was older, possibly older than 70, and the truck and trailer had Oregon license plates.
Montana Highway Patrolman Terry Rosenbaum said Matter left his truck in drive when he went to check his brakes. It appears, Rosenbaum said, that an advanced computerized braking system for the camper may have malfunctioned, causing the system to lock up. When Matter disconnected the hook up between camper and truck, the brakes disengaged, allowing the camper to roll backwards and drag the victim.
The Polson Police Department, Lake Count Sheriff's Office, Montana Highway Patrol, Polson Fire and Polson Ambulance all responded and were on scene. Check back here for updates as they become available.