A head-on collision on Oct. 6 left two people dead and two injured at 9:20 p.m. on Highway 83 in Seeley Lake.
According to a release from Montana Highway Patrol, a vehicle driving south on Highway 83 failed to make a curve to the left near Double Arrow Road. It traveled in the ditch for 340 feet and got back into the southbound lane before it crossed onto the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with another vehicle traveling north.
Per the release, drugs and speed were suspected as conditions of the crash. All passengers were wearing seatbelts, except the driver in the northbound vehicle.
The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff and Coroner released the names of the two women who died — Alexis G. Irwin, 30, from Seeley Lake and Alexis R. Berger, 34, from Kalispell. Irwin was driving the southbound vehicle, in which Berger also rode.
Jennifer Cameron, Irwin’s mother, said Irwin traveled between Seeley Lake and Washington over the years and moved back to Seeley Lake in March before landing in Bigfork a couple of months ago. She was a sous chef and a bartender and worked at Roveros, Base Camp and the Chicken Coop in Seeley.
“I’ve never seen anybody in my life who could just walk into a place and get a job like that,” Cameron said, attributing the quality to Irwin’s infectious personality.
Irwin’s sister, Kayla — who has started a Go Fund Me page to support the costs of a celebration of life for her sister — had a wedding the day before. Irwin and her girlfriend, Berger, were back in Seeley for the wedding.
The investigation into the crash is still pending.
The link to Irwin’s Go Fund Me can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-allys-celebration-of-life
Checks can be written to Jennifer or Tyler Cameron, Citizens Alliance Bank, 821 Elaine’s Way, Seeley Lake, 59868.
A fundraiser has been set up to support the individuals in the northbound car — Colton and Johnnie Dunlap of Seeley Lake. All proceeds from the Seeley Lake Fall Festival on Oct. 26 from 3-7 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall will support the Dunlap family. Food, games, a chili cook-off, a bounce house and more will be offered.
Colton owns a business called I Know Jack that offers plowing, sanding and towing services in the winter and grading, graveling and trenching during the summer. Johnnie works at the dental clinic in Seeley Lake.
Checks to support the Dunlaps can be written to Colton Dunlap, Citizens Alliance Bank, P.O. Box 720, Seeley Lake, Montana, 59868 with “donation” in the memo.
A celebration of life for Berger will be held on Oct. 15 from 4-6 p.m. at the A Bar in Bigfork.
Perfectly competent at too many things
Keely's journalism career started with staff positions at the Lone Peak Lookout and The Madisonian in southwest Montana and freelancing for Dance Spirit Magazine.
In 2023, she completed a legislative reporting fellowship with KFF Health News during Montana's 68th legislative session and graduated with an MA in Environmental Journalism from the University of Montana. Keely completed a summer fire reporting internship with Montana Free Press in 2022.
Her bylines include Scientific American, Modern Farmer, U.S. News & World Report, CBS News, The New Republic, KFF Health News, Montana Free Press, Ars Technica, Mountain Journal and Outside Business Journal.
She also is a producer and editor for a Montana Public Radio podcast.
Keely received her undergraduate degrees in History and Religious Studies from Montana State University in 2017.
In her spare time, she's dancing, drinking processo and running around the mountains.
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