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Man who was killed in Highway 2 accident identified

CHRIS PETERSON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 1 month AGO
by CHRIS PETERSON
Chris Peterson is the editor of the Hungry Horse News. He covers Columbia Falls, the Canyon, Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. All told, about 4 million acres of the best parts of the planet. He can be reached at [email protected] or 406-892-2151. | November 13, 2019 2:15 PM

A man who was killed in an accident Nov. 8 when he made a U-turn in front of a logging truck on U.S. Highway 2 in a larger ATV vehicle has been identified as Jeffrey Louis Welle, 64, from Columbia Falls.

The accident occurred near the intersection of Highway 2 and Wishart Road about 2 p.m. just north of the airport.

Welle was dead at the scene.

The driver of the tractor trailer truck was reportedly not seriously injured, according to witnesses. No other people were involved, witnesses said.

The truck tried to avoid the collision, but the load tipped over and the truck went into the ditch and overturned.

Logs were strewn across the highway and it took hours to clean it up.

Numerous emergency personnel responded to the scene, including Columbia Falls Fire Department, Three Rivers EMS and Glacier Park International Airport emergency vehicles.

Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.

This is the second fatal accident on Highway 2 where a person tried to make a U-turn on the busy highway and was struck by another vehicle in the past year. A woman tried to make a U-turn earlier this year north of Evergreen and was struck by a dump truck.

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