Columbia Falls man killed when SUV crashes into ravine

A 23-year-old Columbia Falls man was killed Wednesday morning when a vehicle in which he was riding left an unpaved roadway and plunged about 200 feet into a ravine leading to the north bank of the Flathead River. The vehicle, an SUV, was traveling on a frontage road along the railroad tracks just south of Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Apparently the vehicle failed to stop at the end of the road and went over a cliff, rolling several times. According to the Flathead County Sheriff's Department, the man was ejected and the front of the vehicle came to rest on the chest of the victim. The man died at the scene of positional asphyxiation. The other occupant of the vehicle walked away from the scene and later contacted a friend about the incident, the report said. Law enforcement searched the area and eventually located the vehicle after an initial report that a rollover had occurred up the North Fork Road. Rescue crews reportedly were going to get a boat and cross the river from the south side in order to retrieve the victim's body. The name of the victim was withheld pending notification of family members.