According to a report from the Montana Highway Patrol, at approximately 8:24 PM a 25-year-old Bozeman woman was reportedly traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes. The driver struck head-on with a vehicle being driven by an 18-year-old Billings woman. Both women died in the crash which occurred near mile marker 294.
“A young 18-year-old driver was driving down the interstate and a car was going the wrong direction and she didn't you know, didn't see it quick enough. Or wasn't able to react quick enough,” says Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer.
According to Sheriff Springer, 18-year-old Brielle Papavero of Billings was driving east on Interstate 90 when 25-year-old Madalyn Raab entered the interstate on 19th street and drove approximately 12 miles before she hit Papavero.
The drivers of both vehicles were declared dead at the scene, and the cause of death for both drivers was determined to be blunt force injuries.
One witness says she saw the accident in person and it was the worst she's ever seen.
“When I came up to the scene, on the left side in the grassy area between both lanes was two completely burnt up vehicles, but they were so burnt up that I could not make out the make model or what they were,” says witness Monique Morris.
Highway patrol does believe Raab was under the influence.
“It's suspected that alcohol or drugs is a factor in this in this event," says Sheriff Springer, "That's according to highway patrol statement.”
Sheriff Springer says wrong-way drivers are not typical, but they do see them. Most of the time the driver seems to be under the influence. In situations like this, law enforcement exhausts every avenue to try and stop a wrong-way driver.
“We can get vehicles in front we have we tried to get spike strips out there to try to stop them. We try to get their attention through multiple different formats,” says Sheriff Springer.
In case of an emergency like a wrong-way driver, Sheriff Springer encourages people to get off the road and stay on the right side of the interstate while driving.
“Get off the roadway. If you can't get off the shoulder, get off the side, stay to the right. Even typically they will stay on their right side if they're going the wrong way, they'll be in what would be the right side of their direction,“ says Sheriff Springer.
