Medical condition likely cause of fatal wreck

A 23-year-old Whitefish man died Dec. 30 after he was found unconscious in his wrecked vehicle.

According to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry, the man was northbound on U.S. 93 near Happy Valley when his 1996 Ford Explorer left the roadway and hit a tree. He was reportedly traveling at less than 45 miles per hour.

A Montana Highway Patrol trooper found the man at about 8 p.m. He was transported to North Valley Hospital where he was declared dead.

Curry said there may have been some sort of medical event that caused the man’s death.

“He left the roadway kind of gently and ran up against [the tree]]. There was not enough damage to cause somebody to die. He had to have had something medical occur to cause him to leave the roadway.”

The man’s body was transported to the State Crime Lab. His name has not been released.