Two Killed In Crash Blamed On Black Ice

Wed., Dec. 31, 1997

Compiled From Wire Services

Two elderly Montana residents were killed Tuesday morning when their car spun out of control on black ice and crashed into an oncoming vehicle along Interstate 90.

The victims were identified as Rolland and Anna Breed of Kalispell.

The Highway Patrol said the 78-year-old woman died at the scene and her 81-year-old husband was flown by helicopter to a Missoula hospital where he died.

One person was injured in the oncoming car.

Mineral County Undersheriff Anita Parkin said five other people were injured in a two-vehicle crash a few minutes earlier, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

Officials said ice during the morning hours made the four-lane highway extremely treacherous. Both accidents occurred a few miles east of the summit, along the Montana-Idaho border.

The two deaths pushed the Montana fatality count to 263, compared with 197 on Dec. 30, 1996.

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