2 injured in collision with semi
Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a Jeep Cherokee and a semi truck hauling a car carrier on Montana Highway 40 just west of U.S. Highway 2 near Columbia Falls on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Highway 40 about a half-mile west of the intersection with U.S. 2 in Columbia Falls was shut down Thursday morning after a Jeep apparently sideswiped a semitractor-trailer, spun around and struck a guardrail head-on.
Columbia Falls firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver from the Jeep. The driver appeared to have severe injuries, but was conscious when taken out of the rig. A passenger in the Jeep had less severe injuries, according to scanner reports.
The driver of the semi, which was hauling new cars to a dealership in Whitefish, said the driver of a eastbound Jeep went across the double yellow line and hit the fender and fuel tanks of the truck, which was westbound.
Witnesses said they were grateful the semi-truck driver was able to keep the rig upright and not hit other vehicles in the process. He was not injured.
Three Rivers EMS transported the victims to the hospital. Montana Highway Patrol, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Columbia Falls Police were all on the scene. A detour down Trumble Creek Road was set up while debris, which extended at least 100 yards, was cleaned up.