Accident shuts down highway 40

Columbia Falls firefighter Ron Ross looks over the Jeep after the victims had been extricated.

Columbia Falls firefighters and Three Rivers EMS crews transport a man to the hospital after the Jeep he was driving struck a semi tractor trailer on U.S. Highway 40 and hit a guardrail.

by Chris Peterson Hungry Horse News
| July 26, 2018 1:35 PM

Columbia Falls firefighters and Three Rivers EMS crews transport a man to the hospital after the Jeep he was driving struck a semi tractor trailer on U.S. Highway 40 and hit a guardrail.

Montana highway 40 about a half-mile west of the Blue Moon intersection at U.S. Highway 2 was shut down Thursday morning after a Jeep apparently sideswiped a tractor trailer truck, spun around and struck the guardrail head-on.

Columbia Falls firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver of the Jeep from the car. The driver appeared to have severe injuries, but was conscious when taken out of the rig. A passenger in the Jeep had less severe injuries, according to scanner reports.

The driver of the tractor trailer truck, which was hauling new cars to a dealership in Whitefish, said the driver of a eastbound Jeep went across the double yellow line and hit the fender and fuel tanks of the truck, which was westbound.

Witnesses said they were grateful the tractor trailer truck driver was able to keep the rig upright and not hit other vehicles in the process. He was not injured.

Three Rivers EMS transported the victims to the hospital. Montana Highway Patrol, the Flathead County Sheriff and Columbia Falls police were all on the scene. A detour down Trumble Creek Road was set up while debris, which extended at least 100 yards, was cleaned up.