Posted in News on June 26, 2014

It only takes a split-second for a fatal accident to occur. Unfortunately, that is just what happened in an accident between a pickup truck and a fire engine that killed six people in a fiery crash.

Recently, a car accident tragically claimed the lives of a family of five as well as the life a firefighter. The accident occurred when the pickup truck containing a family of five travelling westbound on U.S. Highway 12 collided head-on with the fire engine travelling eastbound on the same highway. The fire engine was being driven by a volunteer fire chief.

Upon impact both vehicles rolled into a ditch alongside the highway. The force of the impact ignited both vehicles on fire. Emergency personnel were not able to rescue any of the occupants of either vehicle involved in the crash. The pickup was driven by the father who also had his wife and their three children with him in the vehicle while the fire engine had only the one occupant, the volunteer fire chief who was driving it at the time.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. A spokesperson for the Montana Highway Patrol confirmed that the county sheriff’s office has released all the bodies retrieved from the scene of the accident to the state crime lab where they will be identified. The lab will also be able to conduct tests to attempt to determine the cause of death for each of the victims in this tragic accident. No details yet have been released as to the possible cause of the accident.

The tragic loss of life in any accident is beyond comprehension for most people. In a fatal accident, the family of those who have lost their lives may be left to deal with the aftermath of the fatal crash. Surviving family members will have to deal with funeral and burial expenses and more. When another motorist’s negligent actions cause a fatal wreck, that motorist may be held responsible and a family may be entitled to compensation, which can help with the healing process.

Source: WHTM, “Family, fire chief filled in fiery Montana Crash,” Matt Volz, June 20, 2014