Bigfork teen dies in crash in Whitefish
HILARY MATHESON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year AGO
EDUCATION REPORTER Hilary Matheson covers education for the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on schools, students, and the policies that shape public education across Northwest Montana. Matheson regularly reports on school boards, district decisions and issues affecting teachers and families. Her work examines how funding, enrollment and state policy influence local school systems. She helps readers understand how education decisions affect students and communities throughout the region. IMPACT: Hilary’s work provides transparency and insight into the schools that serve thousands of local families. | August 26, 2025 12:00 AM
A 17-year-old Bigfork girl is dead after a single-vehicle crash on Saturday in Whitefish.
According to a Montana Highway Patrol report, a 20-year-old Marion man was driving a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup west on Mountain Meadow Road when the truck drifted off the right side of the road, sideswiping a tree. The pickup traveled down an embankment and hit another tree before coming to a rest.
The crash occurred around 1:50 a.m. Alcohol is a suspected factor in the crash.
The driver was wearing a seat belt. The teen, who was reportedly not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene. A second passenger, a 17-year-old Kalispell girl who was wearing a seat belt, was transported to Logan Health Medical Center, according to the report.
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