The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office has identified the three Kalispell residents killed in a vehicle crash on the U.S. 93 Alternate Route.
Sheriff Chuck Curry said Kert Lee Dolechek, 51, Amy Nicole Ward, 38, and Kendra Lynn Anderson, 42, died in a single-vehicle rollover on the Kalispell bypass around 2:30 a.m., Saturday, July 16. Curry said the vehicle left the roadway, rolled and burst into flames.
Alcohol and speed were both factors in the crash, according to Curry.
Dolechek, believed to be the driver, was ejected from the vehicle and died of trauma at the scene. The other victims remained in the vehicle until it was extinguished, and their bodies are being transported to the Montana State Crime Lab for autopsies.
The Montana Highway Patrol continues to investigate the incident.
There have been 93 fatalities on Montana roadways so far this year, according to the Highway Patrol.