Man pronounced dead after car crash

A Havre man was prounced dead after his vehicle crashed into a tree and overturned Sunday on Fifth Avenue, Havre police said.

Assistant Police Chief George Tate said police are uncertain if the man died as a result of the crash or from health-related problems before the crash occurred.

Tate said an autopsy will be performed.

He said the name of the driver is being withheld pending notification of his family.

Police Sgt. Gabe Matosich said at the scene that the southbound vehicle, a white Oldsmobile Achieva S, apparently drifted across the northbound lane, jumped the curb and hit a tree on the east side of the avenue and then rebounded back onto the street, where it overturned.

Havre police received a call about the accident at 2:59 p.m.

Havre Fire Chief Dave Sheppard said this morning the driver, the sole occupant of the car, was transported to Northern Montana Hospital in an ambulance.

Two Havre police cars, two Montana Highway Patrol cars, a Hill County Sheriff's Office car and an ambulance responded to the scene.

Sheppard said today if the car had not hit the tree, it likely would have continued into the parking lot of the Dairy Queen on Fifth Avenue at Sixth Street, where customers were gathered.

Law enforcement officers blocked the avenue from Fifth to Sixth streets for about an hour while MHP and Havre police investigated.

A wrecker turned the vehicle over and towed it from the scene before the traffic was allowed to resume on Fifth Avenue.