KALISPELL- A 68-year-old Flathead Valley woman is dead after a crash with dump truck Tuesday morning on US Highway 2 near Kalispell.
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Jerril Ren says around 10:30 a.m. a passenger vehicle and dump truck were heading south on U.S. Highway 2 two miles west of the Glacier International Airport.
For unknown reasons, the driver of the passenger vehicle pulled over to the side of the road and the driver re-entered the outside traffic and attempted to make a U-turn.
Trooper Ren tells MTN News the dump truck was in the inside lane, attempted to brake to avoid striking the vehicle, but was unable to, striking the driver side of the car.
The driver of the car died, her passenger, 63-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The male driver of the dump truck was not injured.
Trooper Ren tells MTN the crash is still under investigation but says alcohol and drugs do not appear to be involved.
The Montana Department of Transportation reports that alternating lane closures on US Highway 2 near the Knife River plant can be expected until Wednesday due a crash investigation.
