Man killed in car-logging truck collision

The Daily Inter Lake

A Seeley Lake man died in a collision with a loaded logging truck at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on Montana 83 near Echo Lake Road .

Flathead County Deputy Coroner Bob Provo said the man's identity won't be released until his family is notified of his death.

Provo said the 49-year-old man was driving east in a Ford Escort, passing vehicles.

"He was speeding," Provo said.

The man reportedly saw the logging truck coming at him in the westbound lane and swerved back into his lane, overcorrected, and slid into the path of the truck.

The truck struck the man's vehicle on the passenger side, compressing it into the driver's side. The man died instantly, Provo said. There was neither an air bag nor a seat belt involved.

ALERT helicopter was called and canceled on its way to the crash. Bigfork Fire & Medical was needed, along with Highway Patrol, Provo said.

The driver of the logging truck was uninjured, he said.