Libby man run over by own truck

A 43-year-old Libby man suffered serious injuries early Sunday when his own truck rolled over his chest.

According to Chief Clay Coker of the Libby Police Department, Dave Kneller had stopped his truck along Balsam Street near Pioneer Park around 12:30 a.m. and had gotten outside when the truck began rolling backward. The truck knocked Kneller down and rolled over him, then continued moving backward and hit a house.

The 90-year-old woman who lived in the house woke up and reported the accident.

"It is my opinion that the truck hitting the house and waking up the lady is what saved him," Coker said.

The woman pointed out Kneller, lying in the street, to the first police officer to arrive on the scene, Coker said. A Libby Volunteer Ambulance crew responded and transported Kneller to St. John's Lutheran Hospital. From there he was flown by the Alert medical helicopter to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for treatment. He remained in the hospital's intensive care unit on Monday.

A second ambulance was called for the woman who reported the accident after she complained of heart problems.