KALISPELL – A $60,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver of a car that caused a crash on U.S. Highway 2 that killed a Montana Highway Patrol officer and two others.
Tim Blixseth, a former timber baron and founder of the exclusive Yellowstone Club golf and ski community at Big Sky, donated $50,000 to start the reward fund.
“Somebody drove that car. Somebody knows what happened,” Blixseth said Wednesday at a news conference at the Flathead County Justice Center. “Unfortunately, sometimes it takes money to move people. If that’s what it takes, let’s get it done.”
Bruce Erickson of American Bank of Whitefish added $10,000 to the reward fund Wednesday. The bank also is accepting donations for the reward fund from the community.
Investigators said video from trooper Evan Schneider’s on-board camera shows a mid-sized, white or light-colored car drifting into oncoming traffic. The car causes Roy Moore of Hungry Horse to lose control of his pickup truck and veer back onto the highway — striking Schneider’s patrol car head-on at highway speeds.
Moore, 42, died in the crash between Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse, while his passenger, 30-year-old Ginger Wilborn died of head injuries two days later.
“I think it’s awesome what (Blixseth’s) doing because there hasn’t been any justice so far,” said Shelley Putnam, Wilborn’s sister-in-law.
The video from Schneider’s vehicle was sent to an FBI crime lab for enhancement, but the suspect vehicle’s license plate is still unreadable. Schneider was pursuing the vehicle for a speeding violation.
“This was a terrible crash where three people died, and we need to get this case solved,” said Sheriff Mike Meehan.