BOZEMAN — A fatal crash early Tuesday morning near Four Corners is bringing to the forefront the hazards of driving on Highway 191.
"When I was coming to work this morning, I said oh please, Lord, don’t let it be one of our families or coworkers or teachers," says Karen Cook, a preschool teacher at Quail Hollow off Highway 191.
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She speaks to the hazards they experience daily: "This intersection here, it’s just so dangerous."
According to details released by the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP), two people died and two more were injured after a GMC truck going southbound towards Big Sky lost control on icy roads and was struck by a Dodge truck headed northbound.
The GMC came to rest in a field nearby where it caught fire, killing two of the three occupants. The third GMC passenger and the driver of the Dodge truck were taken to the hospital. MHP says the accident is still under investigation.
"The road from Four Corners to Big Sky is such a funny section of road," says Sergeant Daniel Haydon.
Haydon is one of the supervisors for the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office for the area around Big Sky and West Yellowstone. He says that stretch of road poses a variety of hazards, especially during winter conditions.
"With it being the end of winter, we’ve had such an impact from the freeze-thaw cycle, and so there’s a lot of extra ruts and potholes that make for new and changing hazards that we need to be aware of," he says.
Sergeant Haydon says speeding, driving under the influence (DUI), or while distracted are some of the main factors that contribute to accidents in this area.
And as Bozeman and Big Sky continue to grow, increased traffic has only made these issues more prominent.
"Around 5 or 5:30, the busiest times or most hectic time, it’s almost impossible to get out of here. Especially in the wintertime, you can be sitting here for 10 or 15 minutes to have an opportunity to get out," says Cook.
She says that they’re constantly worried for the parents and children they serve getting here safely—only further exasperated by speeding cars.
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"If you’re 10 miles under the speed limit, coming from the canyon, you’re adding maybe three or four minutes to your commute. Just accept it. Put on some music. They are going to get there in almost the same amount of time and have such a safer drive," says Haydon.
Haydon encourages people on 191 to drive responsibly and report any incidences that may pose a risk to other drivers.
