Deadliest weekend on MT roads in 15-years

An Ovando man was killed in this crash off Highway 200 Sunday morningMontana Highway Patrol says this past weekend was the worst for traffic fatalities in 15-years, and the second worst on record. 

8-people were killed on state highways Saturday and Sunday, including five in a rollover outside Browning and two in Northwest Montana near Troy. Additionally, a Plains grandmother and her two grandchildren drowned when their car went into the Clark Fork River bringing the total to 11. But that accident isn't included in the state numbers because it happened on private property. 

KRTV reports quotes MHP troopers as saying of the 8-fatalities on state roads, only one of those people was wearing a seat belt. 

Overall, 93-people have been killed in traffic accidents in Montana this year, nearly twice the pace as two years ago. 

Update on Monday, June 17, 2013 at 9:44PM by MontanaNewsNow

The death of a 58-year old Whitefish woman Saturday actually raises the weekend death toll to 12 on state roads, not including the three victims in the Plains drowning. 

Woman thrown from SUV and killed near Kalispell

(KALISPELL)- Montana Highway Patrol troopers say there's been another fatal accident where someone wash't wearing a seat belt.

MHP says a 38-year old woman was killed Tuesday afternoon when she crashed on U-S 2 about 7-miles west of Kalispell near the Ashley Creek bridge. Troopers say the woman apparently lost control as she was rounding the curve, overcorrecting and sending the car into a slide before it rolled several times. 

The woman was ejected from the SUV and was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The crash is one in a series of Western Montana accidents this spring where people have been thrown from their cars and died because they weren't wearing seat belts. An Idaho man was ejected from his car after it hit a tree on I-90 near St. Regis earlier this week. 

Rash of crashes hit Montana roads

Investigators look at the aftermath of a car-pedestrian accident Monday in Missoula- KPAX TV photo(MISSOULA)- The sudden onset of spring weather often brings a spike in traffic accidents and it appears the past couple of days are no exception. 

In Missoula, police are investigating a late afternoon car-pedestrian accident in which a vehicle hit a man walking along Mullan Road east of Reserve. There was no immediate word on the man's condition. 

Authorities have identified a 17-year old Lolo teen who was killed when the car he was riding in crashed outside Bozeman Friday night. Alec Fesler was killed when he was thrown from the car when it crashed on Story Mill Road.

And officials have identified the Florence man who was killed over the weekend when his motorcycle crashed on Old Highway 93. The Missoula County Sheriff's Office says 31-year old Frank Schwindt died from the injuries he suffered when he crashed without a helmet. 

Child killed when thrown from rolling car near Hardin

(HARDIN)- Montana Highway Patrol says a child was killed early Saturday morning after being thrown from a rolling car on Interstate 90 in Big Horn County.

KTVQ reports the wreck happened around 6:20 in the morning outside Hardin. 

Montana Highway Patrol says a woman lost control of her car and it went into the median, rolling three times. The mother and both her children were thrown from the vehicle. There was no immediate word on their identities or the extent of the injuries to the survivors. 

Update on Monday, June 18, 2012 at 5:03AM by MontanaNewsNow

Authorities have now identified the victim of the crash as a 5-year old Polson boy. 

KPAX TV is reporting the Big Horn County Coroner says Bradley Trogden died from blunt force injuries. His 27-year old mother suffered life threatening injuries and a 4-year old brother was in critical condition.

MHP reports fatal accidents climb

Many of the state's fatal crashes are happening on two-lane highways and side roads, such as this recent fatal crash near Kalispell- KAJ TV photo(HELENA)- Montana Highway Patrol says drivers not wearing seat belts, speeding, and driving drunk continue to push the state's traffic fatality rates up.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports MHP's annual report shows traffic deaths were up 10% in 2011, and have continued to go up during the first six months of this year. It's the first time the number of fatal crashes has increased in 5-years. 

MHP chief Col. Michael Tooley says the number of people killed in drunk driving crashes has actually dropped somewhat, but that's been offset by an increased number of fatal crashes caused by other factors. And many of those wrecks are happening on the state's two-lane highways, as opposed to the freeways.