A 36-year-old Columbia Falls man died Thursday morning after crashing his Subaru into a semi-truck on Montana Highway 40, causing the truck to catch fire but resulting in only minor injuries to its driver, according to the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP).
The motorist who died was driving a Subaru Outback westbound on Highway 40 near Whitefish on July 6 at 8:45 a.m. when he crossed the center turn lane and drove into the eastbound lane, heading toward the semi-truck, according to the MHP fatality report. The driver of the truck swerved to the right but was unable to avoid the collision and the front of the Subaru struck the left side of the truck.
During the crash, the semi-truck drove off the north end of the roadway and ignited, becoming fully engulfed in flames.
The driver of the truck, a 49-year-old Columbia Falls man, was treated at the scene for minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital. The Subaru driver died at the scene.