KALISPELL (AP) – A Kalispell woman told investigators she was reaching down to pick something up when her truck swerved and crashed nearly head-on into an unmarked sedan being driven by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper, killing him.
JenniRae Bloom, 22, suffered a broken leg in the crash Tuesday morning. She was not wearing a seat belt, officials said.
After the collision, the pickup went airborne and landed on its passenger side near the shoulder of the road, said Terry Werner, a passing motorist who witnessed the accident.
Officials with the patrol said preliminary tests show drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash, nor was speed.
Funeral services for trooper David Graham, 36, are scheduled for Saturday in Kalispell. Law enforcement officials are wearing black bands around their badges until 24 hours after the funeral.