Victims of Libby crash identified

LIBBY — The horrific two-vehicle crash on U.S. 2 west of Libby on Monday morning claimed the lives of five Lincoln County residents.

Three of the victims were from Troy — Jack R. Flasche, 68, his wife Lois L. Flasche, 66, and their backseat passenger, 55-year-old Theresa C. Merritt.

The other victims were from Eureka: Sherry Lynn Thompson, 41, and her 10-year-old daughter, Kendra.

Thompson’s 16-year-old son, Braden, was transported to St. John’s Lutheran Hospital in Libby and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The teen was a front-seat passenger. He is in serious condition in the intensive-care unit, hospital officials said.

Bryce Ford of the Montana Highway Patrol said Thompson’s 2004 GMC Yukon sport-utility vehicle was traveling west on Highway 2 when the driver for an unknown reason lost control of her vehicle and slid sideways into the eastbound lane directly into the path of a 2004 Dodge Stratus driven by Jack Flasche.

Both vehicles collided at highway speed, Ford said. It was raining and the road was wet at the time of the accident, which occurred at about 10 a.m., at mile marker 25.1, approximately six miles west of Libby.

Ford said excessive speed, alcohol or drugs do not appear to be factors in the accident pending toxicology results from the State Crime Lab in Missoula.

All three occupants in the Flasche vehicle were wearing seatbelts and the front airbags deployed. Two of the three occupants of the Thompson vehicle were wearing seatbelts.

Monday’s tragedy is the second on U.S. 2 this month. On March 6, four people were killed in an accident near Happy’s Inn.