GREAT FALLS — As in years past, August is proving to be a deadly month on Montana roads, with at least 15 crashes resulting in fatalities.
MISSOULA COUNTY: One person died in a collision involving two motorcycles in Missoula County on Sunday, August 31, 2025. It happened just after 9 p.m. along Kendall Creek Road, several miles north of Clinton. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the crash involved a 21-year old man from Missoula driving a Kawasaki, and a 23-year old man from Clinton, also driving a Kawasaki. The MHP report says the motorcycles were traveling in opposite directions on Kendall Creek Road and collided. The man from Missoula died at the scene; his name has not been released. The man from Clinton was taken to a hospital in Missoula; the nature and extent of his injuries has not been disclosed. According to the MHP crash report, alcohol is suspected as a factor in the crash, but does not indicate whether that may applies to one or both drivers. In addition, the crash report indicates that neither man was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
HILL COUNTY: A 45-year old woman died in a one-car crash in Hill County on Friday, August 29, 2025. It happened at about 1:30 a.m. near Beaver Creek Road and Warrick Road. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the Nissan Sentra had four occupants, including a 42-year old male driver from Billings. The crash report says the car heading south on Beaver Creek Road when the driver failed to negotiate a left-hand corner. The car went off the road and rolled into a creek, coming to rest on its roof. The woman died at the scene; her name has not been released. The driver and one other occupant of the car were taken to Northern Montana Medical Center; the nature and extent of their injuries was not disclosed. According to the MHP, impaired (alcohol/drugs) driving was not a factor in the crash, nor was excessive speed. None of the car's occupants were wearing seatbelts.
LAKE COUNTY: Four people died in a two-vehicle crash on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, on U.S. Highway 93 north of St. Ignatius, according to Lake County Sheriff Don Bell. Lake County 911 received several reports of the crash in the Post Creek Hill area just after 5:30 p.m., Bell said. The crash involved an RV carrying 10 people and a passenger car, Bell said. "All four people in the passenger vehicle were killed," Bell said. The victims have been identified as 53-year-old Denise Burland of Polson, 53-year-old Jo Lynn Leishman of Pablo, 52-year-old Lanelle Fisher of Ronan, and 42-year-old Kimberly R. Hewankorn of Polson. Traffic was diverted for more than three hours while emergency officials investigated and managed the crash scene. The deceased were transported to the Montana State Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy. The Lake County Coroner's Office is investigating the cause and manner of death. The Montana Highway Patrol is investigating to determine the cause and circumstances of the crash.
FLATHEAD COUNTY: A crash near Whitefish on Saturday, August 23, 2025, left one teenager dead and another injured. The Montana Highway Patrol says a 20-year-old man from Marion was driving a Dodge Ram with two 17-year-old passengers just before 2 a.m. The truck drifted off at the intersection of Mountain Meadow and Tally Lake roads and hit a tree. The vehicle then continued down an embankment and struck another tree. The MHP says one passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt was thrown from the truck by the force of the crash. The 17-year-old girl from Bigfork died at the scene; her name has not been released. The second passenger, a 17-year-old from Kalispell, was injured and taken to a hospital. The driver was not hurt. MHP says both were wearing seatbelts. The Montana Highway Patrol says alcohol is suspected as a factor in the crash.
BLAINE COUNTY: A 62-year old man died in a one-vehicle crash in Blaine County on Saturday, August 23, 2025. It happened just after 11 a.m. along US Highway 2 at mile marker 406, several miles east of Chinook. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the driver - who was the only occupant of the Buick Enclave - was heading west when the vehicle veered toward the right shoulder and "made contact with the guardrail" head-on.The vehicle went off the road and came to a stop in a borrow pit. The driver, who the MHP says was from Great Falls, died at the scene. His name has not been released at this point. According to the MHP crash report, alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash, and the man was not wearing a seatbelt at the time.
YELLOWSTONE COUNTY: A 12-year old girl died and two people were injured in a one-vehicle crash in Yellowstone County on Friday, August 22, 2025. It happened at about 6:40 a.m. near mile marker 460 of Interstate 90. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, a 42-year old man was driving a Jeep Gladiator heading west with two passengers - a 14-year old boy and a 12-year old girl, all three from Burien, Washington. The MHP report says the driver was negotiating a left turn when the Jeep went off the right side of the road and hit a tree, causing the vehicle to overturn. The Jeep then crashed into another tree and came to rest on its roof. The 12-year old girl died at the scene; the driver and the teen boy were taken to Intermountain Health for medical care. According to the MHP, the driver and the teen boy were wearing seatbelts, and the girl who died was not. The MHP report says that alcohol, drugs, and speed were not factors in the crash.
ROSEBUD COUNTY: An 86-year-old Hysham man died in a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 94 on Friday, August 22, 2025. The Montana Highway Patrol says the crash happened at 1:30 a.m. at mile marker 106 near Rosebud. The driver and only occupant of a Toyota Tacoma was eastbound when the truck drifted off the left side of the road. The driver overcorrected, went back on to the highway, and crossed the centerline. The MHP says the driver then overcorrected again causing the truck to roll. The driver, whose name has not been released, was thrown from the vehicle by the force of the crash, and died at the scene. According to the MHP, the man was not wearing a seat belt, and alcohol is suspected to have been a factor in the crash.
CASCADE COUNTY: A young man died in a vehicle crash in Great Falls on Sunday, August 17, 2025. It happened at the intersection of Central Avenue and Ninth Street at about 2:20 a.m. The crash involved a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle. Officers responded and found the motorcycle driver with serious injuries. Officers rendered first aid, including administering CPR, until emergency medical personnel from Great Falls Fire Rescue arrived to provide advanced life care. The motorcycle driver, a 21 year-old man, died at the scene due to his injuries. We do not know whether anyone in the other vehicle was injured. The GFPD says that investigators believe speed was a factor, and the crash is still being investigated. At this point, there is no word on whether the other driver has been or might be cited. Cascade County Sheriff/Coroner Jesse Slaughter has not yet released the identity of the young man who died.
PONDERA COUNTY: A motorcyclist died several days after a crash in Pondera County that happened on August 16, 2025. The crash happened just before 4 p.m. along US Highway 89 between Pendroy and Dupuyer. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the 50-year old man from Shelby was northbound on a Harley Davidson Road King. Near mile marker 71, the motorcycle drifted to the right and went off the road. The motorcycle then "became airborne and impacted a hill" where it came to rest. The man - whose name has not been released - was taken to Benefis Health System in Great Falls, where he died several days later due to his injuries. The MHP report says that drugs and/or alcohol were not factors in the crash, and that the driver was not wearing a helmet at the time.
GALLATIN COUNTY: A motorcyclist died on Friday, August 15, 2025, after colliding with a vehicle on South 19th Avenue. The Gallatin County Coroner's Office identified the motorcyclist as Keanen Schroeder of Bozeman; Schroeder was 23 years old. According to a news release from the Bozeman Police Department, it happened at about 8:48 p.m. at the intersection of South 19th Avenue and Stucky Road. According to the preliminary investigation, a red Subaru heading north on South 19th Avenue had turned left onto Stucky Road, where it was struck by a motorcycle that was southbound on South 19th Avenue. An off-duty Belgrade Police Department officer who saw the collision immediately stopped at the scene and performed CPR on Schroeder. Additional emergency medical personnel responded, but the rider was beyond life-saving measures and died at the scene. Preliminary findings indicate the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed before the crash. The driver of the red Subaru and other witnesses are cooperating with the investigation. There is no word at this point on whether impaired driving was a factor in the collision.
PHILLIPS COUNTY: A man died in a vehicle rollover crash in Phillips County on Thursday, August 14, 2025. It happened at about 7:20 a.m. near the intersection of Sun Prairie Road and Content Road, about 26 miles south of Malta. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, a 40-year old man from Malta was driving a Chevy Silverado south on Sun Prairie Road. For some reason, the vehicle went off the left side of the road and overturned. The man died at the scene; his name has not been released. He was the only occupant of the vehicle. According to the MHP, alcohol and speed are suspected as factors in the crash; the MHP report says that it is "unknown" if he was wearing a seatbelt at the time.
YELLOWSTONE COUNTY: A motorcyclist died in a crash in Yellowstone County on Monday, August 11, 2025.It happened at about 12:30 p.m. along US HIghway 87 near mile marker 6. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, the man was driving a Harley Davidson FLHX heading west when he failed to negotiate a right-hand curve in the road. The motorcycle went off the road and rolled into a ravine. The 45-year old man from Billings died at the scene; his name has not been released. The man was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The MHP report says that alcohol and speed are suspected as factors in the crash.
GLACIER COUNTY: A man from Birmingham, Alabama, died after a crash that happened in Glacier County on Saturday, August 9, 2025, according to the Montana Highway Patrol. Just before 4 p.m., the 62-year-old man was driving a BMW motorcycle along US Highway 2 in East Glacier Park near the intersection with Montana Avenue. For some reason, the motorcycle overturned and slid across the westbound lane. The man and the motorcycle were found on the sidewalk. He was taken to a medical facility in Browning where he later died due to his injuries. According to the MHP, the man was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Impaired driving and/or speed were not factors in the crash. The name of the man has not been released.
CASCADE COUNTY: A young man from Great Falls died in a vehicle rollover crash on Saturday, August 9, 2025. It happened at about 9:50 p.m. near the intersection of US Highway 89 and Hughesville Road, just south of Monarch. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, a Jeep Wrangler driven by a 36-year old woman from Great Falls was westbound on Hughesville Road and failed to negotiate a curve. The driver then over-corrected and the Jeep went off the right side of the road, rolling several times and coming to rest in a creek bed. The passenger, a 19-year old man from Great Falls, died at the scene. His name has not been released at this point. The driver was taken to Benefis Health System in Great Falls; the nature and extent of her injuries has not been disclosed. According to the MHP, the man who died was wearing a seatbelt; the report states it is "unknown" whether the driver was wearing a seatbelt. The MHP report says that impaired driving and speed were factors in the crash. Amber Burnett has been charged with a felony in connection with the crash - click here for details.
GALLATIN COUNTY: A man from Spokane, Washington, died after a crash that happened on August 4, 2025, according to the Montana Highway Patrol. The 56-year-old motorcycle driver was westbound on Interstate 90 near mile marker 317 between Bozeman and Livingston. For some reason, he was unable to negotiate a left-hand curve, resulting in the motorcycle veering off the right side of the road. The vehicle encountered loose gravel, which contributed to a loss of control, leading to the driver being thrown from the motorcycle. The driver was taken to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center and later died at the hospital on August 7 due to the injuries sustained in the crash. Wet conditions and speeding are suspected to be contributing factors to the crash; impaired driving is not suspected. The name of the man has not been released.
