The blue Chevy Cobalt that was heading east on Highway 200 collided head-on with a pickup truck attempting to turn onto Russell Gates Fishing Access road on July 21, at about 3:55 p.m. The collision crushed the front of the Cobalt and flattened the tires. The impact flattened the front tires of the pickup and damaged the axle.
Life Flight above Highway 200 evacuated the female driver to Missoula. She sustained serious, but not life-threatening injuries.
Emergency personnel from Potomac and Seeley Lake were called to the scene of a head-on collision at the intersection of Highway 200 and Russell Gates Fishing Access road, near mile marker 35 at about 3:55 p.m. on Saturday, July 21. One driver was taken by air to Missoula and the other driver sustained no serious injuries.
According to Montana Highway Patrol Officer Wes Whitlatch, a Chevy Silverado pickup attempted a left turn into the fishing access road from the west-bound lane of 200. The front of the truck collided with a Chevy Cobalt going east in the other lane.
The force of the accident flattened the tires of the pickup, completely crushed the front end of the Cobalt and caused airbag deployment in both vehicles.
The driver of the Cobalt, a 49-year-old woman from Ulm, was seriously injured and was extricated by emergency personnel. She was taken to Missoula by the Life Flight helicopter. Whitlatch said she was in serious condition with wrist and ankle injuries and possible internal injuries but they were not life threatening.
The 15-year-old male from Frenchtown driving the Silverado had no serious injuries and was released after an initial evaluation. There were no passengers in either car.
Whitlatch said the crash was likely caused by the 15-year-old's inexperience as the driver. He only had a learner's permit.
"Once he found himself in harm's way, he didn't have the experience to know he needed to speed up and get out of the opposing lane," said Whitlatch.
There were no other factors causing the crash, although Whitlatch said it was likely that the driver of the pickup was not wearing a seatbelt.
A citation for violation of a driver's license restriction was issued to the driver of the pickup, as a learner's permit requires that the holder be supervised by an adult with a driver's license while operating a vehicle.
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