WHITEFISH – Firefighters check the vitals of the driver of a Jeep off U.S. Highway 93 Tuesday afternoon. The driver, a 68-year-old man from Eureka, said the last thing he remembered was heading south on Highway 93 through Whitefish and then the sensation of “being hit with a sledgehammer,” according to the Montana Highway Patrol.
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A member of the Whitefish Fire and Rescue supports the head and neck of the Jeep driver as they work to remove him from the vehicle. |
Troopers speculate that the driver fell asleep at the wheel and veered off the highway while traveling at about 65 mph.
The wheel was cranked to the right, which flipped the car on to its left side where it became wedged between trees.
The victim, who had movement in his limbs and was alert at the scene, was taken to the Kalispell Regional Medical Center where doctors determined his neck was broken.