Ronan man killed in head-on crash south of Pablo

A female driver fleeing from a Lake County Deputy early Friday morning crossed into oncoming traffic along U.S. Highway 93 at a high speed and crashed head-on into another vehicle, killing a Ronan man.

The deceased man is Ryan Lefthand, 35, of Ronan, according to a press release from Lake County Sheriff Don Bell.

The woman, who has not been identified by authorities, was taken to a local hospital. A Montana Highway Patrol incident report lists her as an 18-year-old from Arlee who was driving a Jeep Liberty. The report indicates Lefthand was driving a Chrysler 300M.

A Lake County Leader birth announcement from February lists a Ryan Lefthand as the father of a new baby girl who joined four other siblings.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, a Lake County deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop on an adult female suspected of DUI around midnight within Polson city limits.

During the initial investigation, the driver was identified but fled southbound on Highway 93 when asked to get out of the vehicle. The deputy did not engage in a pursuit with the vehicle, but attempted to follow it and lost sight of it in the area of north Pablo. Flathead Tribal Police officers reported seeing the vehicle pass by the tribal complex of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in excess of 100 mph.

As the vehicle traveled south from Pablo, it crossed into the northbound side of the divided highway and struck Lefthand’s northbound vehicle head-on, instantly killing him.

The crash occurred just north of Lake’s Corner, near mile marker 48.

The Lake County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office is investigating Lefthand's death. The Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.