Three-vehicle crash blocks busy intersection

A three-vehicle accident was responsible for shutting down traffic at a busy intersection in Kalispell during the Monday morning commute.

According to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Jim Hawkins, a westbound Subaru reportedly ran a red light at the intersection of Reserve Drive and Whitefish Stage Road and T-boned a Dodge pickup attempting to make a left turn into the northbound lane. The impact caused the full-size pickup to roll onto its side.

The Subaru then ricocheted off the pickup and crashed head-on into another pickup stopped at the traffic light on Reserve, pushing it back by several feet.

Hawkins said there were no serious injuries, but said the driver of the Subaru was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures. All of the drivers involved were wearing seat belts.

Crews were dispatched to the accident scene at 8:30 a.m. and the intersection was reopened by 9:30 a.m.

The driver of the flipped pickup said he was thankful for the timing — about five minutes before the wreck he had dropped off his young daughter and was glad she had not been in the truck.