A 26-year-old Troy man was injured when a rifle discharged in his car while driving around the Troy area early Thursday morning, according to Lincoln County Undersheriff Brent Faulkner.
The bullet struck Benjamin Jay Basham in the right leg near the ankle after the rifle was somehow inadvertently agitated and discharged, causing a substantial wound, officials said. His passenger, 23-year-old Jose Palafox, also of Troy, drove the injured man to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Lincoln County dispatch received the initial report at 2:37 a.m. Thursday from St. John’s Lutheran Hospital in Libby.
The incident is still under investigation but appeared to be accidental, according to initial reports.