On July 31, 2024, multiple law enforcement agencies and emergency services were alerted and dispatched to a crash on I-90, west of the Highway 287 interchange in Three Forks.
Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer says a man may have gotten on the interstate at the Wheat Montana exit (Exit 274) and initially drove in the right direction. Law enforcement believes the man then made a U-turn a few miles east of the exit, but confirmation of those details is pending an investigation.
A member of the responding party included the Three Forks Volunteer Fire Department Chief Keith Aune.
“It was roughly 7:10 in the morning, and he (the driver) hit head-on with another person. Both people died, and at the end of the crash we found another dog inside the vehicle,” Aune said.
After extracting that dog out of the damaged car, Aune noted that if the dog lived, he would be interested in adopting him. The dog that he assisted in saving did end up dying; however, there was another dog that was rescued by officers prior to his arrival on scene.
The dog, named "Smokey Bear" was taken to Heart of the Valley animal shelter and treated for internal damage and a broken leg. Chief Aune and his wife made the trip to Bozeman to visit Smokey, and though he was timid at first, Smokey eventually warmed up to the Chief.
“When we got the leash on him and walked around, he became our best bud,” Aune said.
Once Smokey Bear was brought back home, Chief Aune said that he fit right into his family and he fit right in at the fire station.
“He’s a family dog, but I’m kind of hoping he could become our new fire dog. I’ve joked that we have to put some dots on him to be a Dalmatian, but he’ll make a good fire dog,” Aune said.
