Following a fatal crash on Jackrabbit Lane on Wednesday, the question arises about how safe that stretch of road actually is.
A 49-year-old Belgrade resident died from blunt force trauma in the crash that was ruled an accident. Although the population of Belgrade may seem to cause more accidents, that's not the case on Jackrabbit Lane.
In 2001, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office responded to 25 crashes on Jackrabbit. In 2022, the number jumps to 33 crashes—only eight more with a population increase of about 55,000. In 2023, they responded to only 22 crashes.
But Sergeant Colter Metcalf with the Sheriff's Office says the growing population is leading to more crowded roads.
"I don't believe that any data supports that Jackrabbit is more or less dangerous than a lot of other roads. Obviously, you know, where people have a tendency to drive faster, there's more potential for injury," says Metcalf.
Metcalf says the Sheriff's Office offers condolences to anyone who was impacted by the loss of life that took place on Jackrabbit Lane Wednesday.
