Name of Blaine County crash fatality released

The name of the Ronan man who died in a car crash on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation July 11 and details of the high-speed chase before the crash happened have been release.

Quacey Whitegrass of Ronan, 32, died of injuries sustained in the crash, the Blaine County coroner said Wednesday, July 17.

The other three in the car were injured in the crash, Montana Highway Patrol reports.

Fort Belknap reports that a 20-year-old Harlem woman was wearing a seatbelt but the other three in Chrysler 300 were not.

The driver was an 18-year-old man with city and state of residence listed as unknown. The other passenger was listed by Highway Patrol as a 20-year-old Harlem man.

The Highway Patrol report said the Chrysler 300, was fleeing law enforcement at about 11 p.m. Thursday, July 11, on Montana Highway 66 at about Mile Marker 44 when it went off the roadway.

It went airborne and upon impact rolled, the report said. All occupants were entrapped and the Chrysler started on fire.

The fire was put out and all occupants were extracted and taken to the hospital, the report said.

The crash is still under investigation.

Fort Belknap Indian Community Public Information Officer Camille Stein said Wednesday, July 11, that the chase started after a law enforcement officer tried to pull over the Chrysler in a traffic stop due to multiple complaints and observation of traffic violations. The vehicle fled and was followed south on a dirt road.

The officer backed off due to low visibility.

Another officer picked up the pursuit and was about 1 mile behind the vehicle when it crashed.

The crash happened at mile marker 48 on highway 66 just before 11 p.m. A female passenger was wearing a seatbelt and the other three were not, Stein said. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor.