Winter Storm Causes 423 Crashes Says Montana Highway Patrol

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - KGVO News spoke to Montana Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Jay Nelson on Thursday, who provided some statewide numbers on car crashes due to this week’s first winter storm.

MHP Reports 423 Motor Vehicle Crashes Statewide from The Week's Winter Storm

“In the past 36 hours, the Montana Highway Patrol has responded to 423 motor vehicle crashes statewide,” began Sergeant Nelson. “This has been a significant storm that has come across our state. Some of those crashes we determined to be slide-offs, meaning vehicles have left the roadway and maybe become disabled and have no damage. But some of them have damaged with a total of 423.”

There have also been Hundreds of Minor Crashes around the State

Nelson provided other numbers of interest regarding the effects of the winter storm.

“We've also responded to 353 other incidents whether a traffic stop or assisting another agency,” he said. “So, that’s a total of 776 incidents for the Montana highway patrol in the last 36 hours, which is a lot.”

Nelson said he is receiving reports from all over the state and will share those numbers with KGVO News as they are gathered by the Montana Highway Patrol.

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The Highway Patrol will Share those Numbers with KGVO as they Occur

“The vast majority of the incidents that we have responded to have not been fatality crashes or other situations involving fatalities,” he said. “The majority have not. But to say there's more than just the double fatality that occurred at Lolo (last Friday), I don't have that right at my fingertips right now.”

Sergeant Nelson said he would supply both local and statewide winter crash numbers as they occur.