Patrol hopes to learn from fatal crashes

After nearly 30 years without losing a patrolman in the line of duty, traffic crashes on Flathead County highways have claimed the lives of three Montana Highway Patrol troopers in the last 18 months.

"We're not just taking this as an unfortunate coincidence," said Col. Mike Tooley, who commands the Highway Patrol. "We're going to look into it."

An expert panel tasked with studying the drivers' actions, the highways, and the vehicles involved in the three wrecks is expected to convene within the next six months. By examining the crashes, the panel - which will include outside experts - should find ways to help avoid future deaths, Tooley said.

"We're not looking to criticize, we're looking to learn," he said. "And if there's something to change in any one of those three areas, that's something we want to do."

The crashes that killed troopers David Graham, Evan Schneider and Mike Haynes all had several elements in common - including highway speeds, head-on impacts, and drunk or inattentive drivers who crossed into oncoming traffic.

Graham, 36, died in an Oct. 9, 2007, crash on U.S. 2 two miles north of Kalispell when the driver of a pickup truck reached for something on the floor of her vehicle and drifted across the center turn lane.

Schneider, 29, died in an Aug. 26, 2008, crash on U.S. 2 near Bad Rock Canyon. He was hit by a pickup truck that the vehicle he was pursuing apparently clipped, forcing the pickup's driver (who had been drinking) to lose control and veer across the center line.

Haynes, 28, died from injuries suffered in a March 23 collision with a drunk driver on U.S. 93 south of Kalispell. The drunk driver was traveling at more than 100 mph northbound in the southbound lanes.

Three other people died in the three crashes that killed troopers.

Tooley also has asked the Legislature to authorize an interim study on driving while impaired in Montana. The study would evaluate legislative solutions, examine social norms related to drunk driving, and look at treatment.

"I think it's important that the Legislature be the leaders in this," Tooley said. "Any major changes are going to require legislation, so let's get them on board early."

Graham, Schneider, and Haynes represent only a fraction of the people killed in crashes on Flathead County highways in recent years. There were 30 traffic fatalities in 2006, 26 in 2007, 24 in 2008 and five deaths so far this year.

"Mainly I think it's the exponential growth we've had in the Flathead," Tooley said. "The roads are pretty heavily traveled."

But despite the high number of fatalities, the overall crash picture in the Flathead has changed dramatically for the better, officials said.

"I think there's a correlation between aggressive enforcement and a decrease in the number of crashes," said Montana Highway Patrol Capt. Clancy King, whose district covers Flathead, Lake, Lincoln and Sanders counties.

The overall number of crashes in the district has remained relatively constant at about 2,000 annually - despite a substantial growth in population and in the number of cars on the road.

In the Flathead Valley alone, the number of crashes has dropped from about 1,400 in 2004 to about 1,200 in 2008. The number of DUIs, however, has risen from about 225 in 2004 to about 450 in 2008, according to King's data.

"If our culture would treat vehicles like we treat fire or hazardous materials or guns or knives, we probably wouldn't be having near the incidents that we have involving vehicles," King said. "In my opinion, the answer doesn't lie in legislation of law enforcement, the answer lies in people."

Morale within the patrol remains high, notwithstanding the recent death toll of troopers, according to MHP officials.

"People are down, let's not kid ourselves," said Tooley, who has been a member of the patrol since 1984 and assumed command in January. "But overall they are going out and doing the job. I'm just amazed at the resiliency of these people."

And the lethality of Flathead County highways, once statistically remote, hasn't discouraged troopers from coming to the Kalispell area - either through transfers or new hires.

"We've never had trouble filling stations in the Flathead," Tooley said.

In the past year, the patrol sent out more than 1,000 application packets and received 800 of them back - all for 10 open positions.

"We've had our best recruiting year ever," said Tooley, who commands 230 troopers statewide. "Applicants see this as a calling rather than a job, and the recent incidents haven't changed that one bit."

The Kalispell area still is two troopers short - Haynes' position has yet to be filled and another trooper recently transferred out.

"Obviously it's good to have a full staff, but I could put 20 more troopers up in the Flathead and they would probably all be busy," Tooley said.

Drivers most frequently interact with troopers during the often unpleasant experience of receiving a ticket, but the troopers' deaths have shifted the public's perception of the patrol and the job it does. Tooley has noticed an increase in correspondence offering support and appreciation.

"They seem to be thoughtful of the folks out there doing the job," he said.

Seven troopers - including five in Northwest Montana - have lost their lives in the line of duty since the Highway Patrol's creation in 1935.

Prior to Graham, Schneider, and Haynes, trooper Michael M. Ren died in an April 8, 1978, shootout with a fugitive near Eureka and trooper Richard Hedstrom was struck and killed by a pickup south of Kalispell while writing a warning ticket on July 19, 1973.

Trooper James Anderson had pulled over a vehicle on Bozeman Hill on Aug. 1, 1954 when a vehicle coming from the opposite direction struck and killed him. On Nov. 2, 1946, trooper Robert Steele in Billings was approaching a suspected getaway car in an armed robbery when he was shot in the neck.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com