Polson woman dies in traffic mishap

An 85-year-old Polson woman died Thursday after a vehicle incident on U.S. 93 near St. Ignatius.

According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the woman was a passenger in a 2021 Subaru Ascent and got out of the vehicle to switch seats with an 86-year-old Polson man when the car reversed in a counterclockwise direction twice and struck her at about 3:10 p.m.

The investigating trooper reported the man failed to put the vehicle into park and accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake.

The woman was taken to St. Luke Hospital in Ronan where she died of her injuries.