Authorities say a 31-year-old Kalispell man who crashed his car into a utility pole was electrocuted by the downed wires after helping two of his passengers to safety.
Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry says the man was driving north of Kalispell early Wednesday morning when he went off the road and crashed into the pole. The man, whose name has not been released, helped his female passengers out of the vehicle but then grabbed the high-voltage line.
Reports that one of the passengers called 911 and tried to perform CPR, but the man was later pronounced dead at the scene. Curry says alcohol may have been involved in the crash, which ignited a fire that burned the engine compartment and cabin of the vehicle.