A 53-year-old Columbia Falls man died on Nov. 1 when the car he was a passenger in failed to negotiate a turn along Halfmoon Road north of Columbia Falls and crashed.
According to Montana Highway Patrol (MHP), the Subaru Impreza was heading north on Halfmoon Road near Braig Road around 9 a.m. when the driver failed to navigate a righthand turn, crossed the center line and adjacent railroad tracks and left the roadway. The vehicle struck some trees and came to a stop at the bottom of a steep embankment.
The driver, a 34-year-old Kalispell man who was not wearing a seatbelt, sustained injuries in the crash and was transported to Logan Health. The passenger, who also was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the MHP crash report, alcohol is a suspected to be factor in the accident.