Seven injured in two-vehicle crash

The Daily Inter Lake

Seven people went to the hospital after a two-vehicle accident on Montana 40 Friday afternoon, but no one was critically injured.

A Ford Ranger headed westbound came to a stop to make a left turn onto River Bluff Road, according to Trooper Evan Schneider with Montana Highway Patrol. The driver sat with the turn signal on, waiting for oncoming traffic to clear.

Three vehicles traveling from 60 to 70 mph came up behind the pickup. The first two passed the Ranger on the right shoulder. The third, a Plymouth Neon, plowed into the back of the pickup.

The five passengers in the Neon were from Columbia Falls. The two in the Ranger live on River Bluff Road.

The person in the rear middle seat in the Neon was hurt worse than the others, Schneider said, but the injuries were still not life-threatening.

"Everybody had seat belts on, and that definitely played a good part in the minor injuries of most people," Schneider said.

He urges drivers to be aware of drivers turning into private drives, especially on Montana 40 and U.S. 2, which have few turning lanes and high speed limits.