ANACONDA -A pedestrian was killed after being struck by a vehicle on this highway just east of Anaconda. A pair of hikers who were walking along this highway said this incident is a tragic reminder of why pedestrians need to be extra careful.
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“It’s kind of dangerous with cars. Cars are not aware of hikers often,” Daphnee LeRoux-Maurais said.
The Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the incident that occurred just before 5 a.m. on Montana Highway 1 near Landfill Road. A Ford Mustang was traveling south on the highway when it hit a person walking in the roadway, according to the highway patrol.
The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
LeRoux-Maurais and Jacob Mitchel were passing through Anaconda that afternoon while hiking the Continental Divide Trail. They had a close call with a motorist who appeared to be looking at his cellphone while driving.
“We got scared. We were really scared; he crossed the white line on the side, and we were really scared, but then he saw us and turned over,” LeRoux-Maurais said.
The couple, who are from Quebec, try to avoid busy roads, but sometimes they have no choice but to cross over highways along the trail.
“When we hike normally, we’re going to hike facing traffic, and we’re waving. We’re just waving at cars so they are seeing us,” LeRoux-Maurais said.
The highway patrol, as of the evening of the accident, did not release any
further details about the fatal accident or the victim, saying the case was under investigation.
