GREAT FALLS — A Montana Highway Patrol trooper made a quick decision to cross the Missouri River by ferry to reach the scene of a serious agriculture accident.
The MHP said that Trooper Torgerson was responding to the incident on Monday, May 18, when she chose to take the Virgelle Ferry across the Missouri River.
Authorities say the shortcut shaved nearly an hour off her response time.
The accident Torgerson was racing to involved a young person whose foot became trapped in an auger.
Emergency crews responded to the scene and had to cut away parts of the equipment to free the person.
Other responding agencies included Chouteau County Search & Rescue, Fort Benton Ambulance, Big Sandy Fire, Loma Fire, Chouteau County Sheriff’s Office, and Mercy Flight.
According to the Central Montana website, Montana has three river ferries, all located on the Upper Missouri River in the central part of the state. Locations are near Carter, near Virgelle, and the McClelland ferry north of Winifred.
The ferries are operated by the county in which they are located, and the crossing service is provided at no cost to users.
