Kalispell teen dies in motorcycle crash

A 17-year-old Kalispell man died Monday from injuries he suffered in a traffic accident Saturday morning in Evergreen.

According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the man was driving a motorcycle south on Montana 35 at about 11:05 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, when he attempted to pass a U-Haul vehicle on the left. The U-Haul was attempting to make a left turn onto Bernard Road, near mile marker 50.

The motorcycle then traveled into oncoming traffic and collided with a 2009 Gray Nissan driven by a 63-year-old Kalispell woman at the intersection. The woman in the vehicle was wearing her seat belt and was not injured.

The man, who was wearing a helmet, was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center, along with an 18-year-old female passenger. She wasn’t wearing a helmet, the patrol said.

A Montana Highway Patrol dispatcher said speed was suspected in the crash. Authorities have not yet released the name of the teen who died.