Two Killed, Two Injured in Highway 2 Crash Last Friday

Valley County Sheriff Buerkle has reported that two county residents were killed in a car crash Nov. 23, when they were struck by a truck attempting to make an apparent U-turn on U.S. Highway 2 near the Highway 24 intersection.

Buerkle stated that the driver of the car, 71-year-old Anthony Curley, was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, 72-year-old Joan Swails, was transported to the hospital and died of her injuries that afternoon. The other vehicle contained a driver and passenger who were both transported to Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Buerkle said the Valley County Dispatch received the call around 10:14 that morning and the VCSO, Long Run Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, Montana Highway Patrol, Glasgow Police Department and the Montana Department of Transportation responded. Upon arriving on the scene, Long Run Fire and EMS extracted the surviving victim from the car as well as treated and transported the three people involved in the accident.

Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, and according to reports, the vehicle driven by Curley turned west onto U.S. Highway 2 from Highway 24 north. After entering the highway going west he then attempted to U-turn east and was struck by an oncoming pickup truck. The crash occurred at high speeds and all of the vehicle occupants were wearing their seat belts.