Three injured in alcohol-related accident

An accident involving underage drinking resulted in injuries to three Libby residents Sunday evening on Fisher River Road.

At approximately 8:10 p.m. Sunday evening, a caller reported a single vehicle crash near mile marker 1 on Fisher River Road off Highway 37. The initial report indicated three people were trapped in the car and extrication equipment was requested.

Libby Police, Libby Volunteer Fire, Libby Volunteer Ambulance, Advanced Life Support and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the page, along with Montana Highway Patrol, the lead agency in the investigation.

Alert and Life Flight helicopters were requested, but were unable to respond. The victims of the accident were able to be removed safely by first responders without the need for special equipment, so the request for extrication was later canceled.

All three occupants were transported to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center for attention. One of the passengers in the vehicle was later transported by ambulance to Kalispell Regional  Medical Center for further treatment.

While the names of the victims have not yet been released by law enforcement, the highway patrol investigator has confirmed that a 17-year-old boy was driving the vehicle. The other two occupants were 20-year-old men. None of the three were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident and alcohol was a factor.

 The accident is being investigated by the Montana Highway Patrol, which has jurisdiction over any traffic accidents outside of city limits. As the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed yet, law enforcement officers have declined to comment more specifically on the matter.

The Western News will be following this story and will publish updated information as it becomes available.