Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
Curtis Snell of Dodson, 66, died of injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash involving a suburban utility vehicle and a tractor-trailer south of Fort Belknap Wednesday, the Montana Highway Patrol reported Thursday. Snell was transported to Northern Montana Hospital, and was then transported to another hospital, a representative of the hospital said this morning. Further information was not available at the time. Marey Missey of Great Falls, 83, a passenger in Snell’s vehicle, was hospitalized after the crash. She was listed in stable condition at Northern Montana Hospital this morning. Another passenger, Drury Shortman of Dodson, 36, was not injured. The driver of the tractortrailer, Dennis E. McLean of Huntly, 42, also was not injured, the Highway Patrol report said. The Highway Patrol report also said Snell was northbound on Montana Highway 66 at about 11 a.m. when he lost control of the 2003 Chevrolet Tracker he was driving, going off the west side of the highway. Snell drove south in the ditch then drove onto the southbound lane of the highway, the report said. Snell was stopped in the southbound lane, intending to back into a Turn off and turn around, when his vehicle was struck by the southbound semi, the report said. Snell’s vehicle was pushed into the west ditch by the highway, while the semi, which McLean steered left to try to avoid the Tracker, went into the east ditch and struck a power pole, the report said. The road conditions, listed in the report as black ice, blowing snow and poor visibility, could have been a factor in the crash, investigating officer Sgt. Mark Bosch said Thursday. Speed was not a factor in the crash, the report said.
