Several badly injured in Montana 35 crash

Two families from the state of Washington were taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center after being involved in a head-on traffic crash Friday afternoon on Montana 35 near Bigfork.

According to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Thorne, a sport-utility vehicle carrying a family of four and two other people who were related to each other, had attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone when one corner of the vehicle collided with the front corner of a tractor trailer.

Trooper Thorne said it appeared four of the people in the SUV may have suffered severe injuries. He said all the occupants of both vehicles appeared to be wearing seat belts.

The SUV rolled into a ditch while the semi, driven by a Montana man, pulled over on the other side of the road. The driver of the semi wasn’t injured.

First responders from various agencies were at the scene, including the Highway Patrol, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Bigfork Ambulance and Evergreen Fire Rescue.