07/20/2022
Tips for low visibility driving from a recent tragedy.
Investigation into Friday’s multi-vehicle incident near Hardin will continue for days to come. We are releasing the following details:
• Six fatalities have been confirmed of individuals in three different vehicles. They were all Montanans, three were minors and three were adults and the youngest was three years old.
• Eleven individuals were injured, three have critical injuries.
• All injured individuals were initially transported to Big Horn County Memorial Hospital by ground ambulance since air ambulances were not available due to weather. The most serious injuries were then transported to Billings for more advanced care.
• In total, twenty-nine individuals were involved. The vehicles involved were from nine U.S. states and one Canadian province.
The identity of those that perished will be released by the Big Horn County Coroner.
The investigation continues to support that a sudden dust storm caused the incident. MHP offers the following tips for driving in a dust storm or low-visibility weather event:
• Check traffic around your vehicle and begin to slow down.
• When beginning to experience low visibility, pull off the road as soon as possible.
• Look for an area where you can safely pull off the paved portion of the road completely. Avoid stopping in the travel or emergency lanes. Exit the highway if able.
• Turn off all vehicle lights and emergency flashers.
• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
• Stay in your vehicle and make sure everyone is wearing your seatbelts.
• High-profile vehicle drivers should have a heightened awareness of changing weather conditions and reduce speed when necessary.
It is recommended to turn off all vehicle lights during a dust storm so that other vehicles approaching from behind do not use your lights as a guide and possibly crash into your vehicle. A guide for pulling to the right of the roadway during a dust storm is listening for your vehicle’s tires to hit the rumble strips that are on all Interstate roads in Montana and most secondary roads. However, please remember that there is a place for turning on lights and hazards under other types of weather events.