Motorist charged in multivehicle crash
Chief Kessel explaining the accident to Libby Mayor Brent Teske. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Libby Mayor Brent Teske looks over the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Durmax diesel that lost its drive shaft in Wednesday’s accident. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
The Ford F-350 that took out the light pole Wednesday afternoon. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Libby police filed charges against one of the drivers in the multivehicle wreck that sent two to the hospital and snarled U.S. Highway 2 last week.
Authorities charged Alyson Beavers with careless driving, a misdemeanor under Montana law, in connection with the Jan. 29 crash. The charge comes with an $85 fine.
The crash involved three single occupant vehicles, said Police Chief Scott Kessel. Two of the motorists suffered minor injuries during the wreck, he said.
An investigation determined driver inattention as the cause. Kessel said authorities ruled out alcohol or excessive speed as potential factors. A check of Beavers’ mobile phone — now routine practice after an accident, Kessel said — showed it was not used in the moments leading up to the crash.
“She doesn’t know what happened,” he said. “It was driver inattention of some sort.”