Valley County Man Dies in Motorcycle Accident

Montana Highway Patrol Sergeant Jeff Kent says Valley County resident Charles Dunn, 65, died in the afternoon hours of Monday, Aug. 10, when he rear-ended a farm truck on Highway 24 between Glasgow and Fort Peck while riding a motorcycle.

Kent said Dunn had been traveling southbound on Highway 24 near mile marker 66 in excess of the posted 70-mph speed limit on a 2006 Buell XB-12X sport bike when he attempted to overtake a Ford F-350 pickup—which was modified to haul hay bales—and his right side struck the flatbed edge of the truck’s left-rear end. Kent added that Dunn had been wearing a helmet but that it had either not been worn correctly or had malfunctioned and came off during the wreck.

The sergeant added that the crash was still under investigation but speed was likely a contributing factor in the crash. He also added that alcohol could not be ruled out as a factor until the results of the toxicology reports were returned from the state crime lab in about a month. Information gathered about the crash did suggest Dunn had been drinking but the level of impairment is unclear without the toxicology analysis.

So far in 2020, 118 people have died on Montana highways. That number is equal to the number of highway fatalities at this time in 2019 and up 11 from this same time in 2018. Of those, alcohol and drugs are suspected or confirmed to have influenced 128 roadway fatalities and speed is a suspected or confirmed factor in 74 fatalities. Of the 30 motorcycle involved fatalities, only 10 were wearing helmets.