One man was killed and four were injured in a crash Thursday evening on U.S. 93 just south of Snowline Lane.

A white 1999 Dodge pickup was southbound on U.S. 93 at 5:08 p.m. when the driver lost control and drifted into the northbound lanes, according to the Montana Highway Patrol. It collided head on with an older sedan traveling in the opposite direction, killing the sedan's driver.

The driver of a second truck traveling northbound behind the sedan hit his brakes and began to slide sideways, coming to a rest alongside the sedan.

The two passengers in the sedan and the driver of the Dodge pickup were taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center with moderate to severe injuries. The driver of the second pickup refused medical attention.

Firefighters were forced to use a spreader to remove the driver of the crumpled sedan, a process that took almost an hour.

Icy roads may have contributed to the accident. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor, investigators said.

The Montana Highway Patrol, Flathead County Sheriff's Office, Kalispell Police Department, Kalispell Fire Department, South Kalispell Fire Department, Bigfork Ambulance, and Somers-Lakeside Fire Department all responded to the crash.

Further information was not available Thursday.

The fatal crash on U.S. 93 was only the first of four collisions to occur within 23 minutes.

At 5:19 p.m., the driver of a car northbound on U.S. 93 near Carpenter's Arena lost control, crossed several lanes of traffic, and ended up in a ditch on the west side of the road. The Lakeside Quick Response Unit took one person to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

At 5:27 p.m., a logging truck and an SUV collided near the intersection of U.S. 2 and Montana 40. Three Rivers EMS took one person with non-life-threatening injuries to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

At 5:31 p.m., two vehicles crashed near the Many Lakes subdivision on Montana 35. Bigfork Ambulance took one person to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden may be reached at 748-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com