Rescuers free trapped person from a vehicle involved in Happy Valley crash
JACK UNDERHILL | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
First responders work to extricate an individual from a vehicle after a wreck on U.S. 93 south of Whitefish on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (Jack Underhill/Daily Inter Lake)
KALISPELL GOVERNMENT, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION REPORTER Jack Underhill covers Kalispell city government, housing and transportation for the Daily Inter Lake. His reporting focuses on how local policy decisions affect residents and the rapidly growing Flathead Valley. Underhill has reported on housing challenges, infrastructure issues and regional service providers across Montana. His work also includes accountability reporting on complex community issues and public institutions. Originally from Massachusetts, Underhill graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in Journalism before joining the Inter Lake. In his free time, Underhill enjoys mountain biking around the valley, skiing up on Big Mountain or exploring Glacier National Park. IMPACT: Jack’s work helps residents understand how growth, housing and infrastructure decisions affect the future of their community. | September 11, 2026 1:00 PM
A motorist was seriously injured in a multi-vehicle crash Thursday morning on U.S. 93 in Happy Valley after being trapped inside a crushed car for nearly an hour before rescuers could free her using power tools.
The wreck occurred around 8:40 a.m., Sept. 10, after a 39-year-old woman turning from Hodgson Road onto U.S. 93 failed to yield to a vehicle traveling northbound, according to Montana Highway Patrol officials. The collision pushed the northbound vehicle into the southbound lanes, where it was struck by a third vehicle.
Firefighters used specialized rescue tools to free the woman, prying open the roof and two side doors of her white sedan that came to rest off the southbound lane with a chain-link fence folded over the top of it.
Because of the extent of the car's damage, rescue crews took nearly an hour to free her, according to Whitefish Fire Captain Ben Fassnacht.
The woman was taken to Logan Health Medical Center in Kalispell with serious injuries, according to Highway Patrol.
The drivers of the other two vehicles, a 47-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl, were transported to Logan Health in Whitefish with minor injuries, according to Highway Patrol.
Ambulances with Big Mountain Fire District, Whitefish Fire Department and Three Rivers EMS transported the injured, according to Fassnacht.
One of three cars involved in the wreck sat askew in the middle of the southbound lane immediately following the collisions. The front of the green SUV was crushed and debris coated the road.
The crash caused significant traffic delays for morning commuters. The southbound lanes were blocked for about an hour and a half, with traffic diverted to Hodgson Road, according to Montana Highway Patrol.
The crash remained under investigation.
Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.
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