MISSOULA - Four people died in a crash on Highway 93 north of St. Ignatius on Tuesday evening.
Lake County Sheriff Don Bell says the crash happened just after 5:30 p.m. in the Post Creek Hill area and involved an RV carrying 10 people and a passenger car with four occupants.
All four people in the passenger car were killed. Everyone in the RV survived, although some sustained injuries.
The Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the crash details, and the names of the victims have not been released.
The fatal crash occurred during what traffic safety officials call the "100 deadliest days of summer" — the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when traffic and crashes are more common.
Four people have died in crashes in District 1 since Memorial Day, which includes Missoula, Ravalli, Sanders and Mineral counties. The district covers areas from the Bitterroot and Idaho borders to the Missoula Valley and extends to Flathead Lake.
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Nick Navarro talks about the "100 deadliest days of summer":
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Nick Navarro says the state's growing population, combined with increased tourist traffic, makes highways more dangerous during the summer months.
"A lot of the roads are new to those type of people. They're not familiar with the seasons that change. They're not familiar with certain traffic patterns that may be different in different areas, any amount of wildlife that we have that tend to enter the roadway," Navarro said.
The number of troopers patrolling District 1 has not grown with the population increase, creating resource challenges.
"I think our population is growing well enough that we should have more troopers," Navarro said.
Limited resources mean reduced Montana Highway Patrol presence, which affects traffic safety enforcement.
"The number one strategy that we would probably use mostly is trying to get more visible troopers out on the road. I think even seeing our cars is a good visual deterrent for people to be speeding," Navarro said.
Troopers emphasize that reducing fatal crashes starts with individual driver responsibility.
"Follow the rules of the road. Drive the speed limit, pay attention to the other stuff that is going around you. Wear your seat belt. Seat belt saves lives," Navarro said.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
