Woman dies after swerving to avoid deer
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ARLEE — A 27-year-old St. Ignatius woman died Monday night after swerving to avoid a deer on U.S. Highway 93 near North Valley Creek Road north of Arlee.
Amanda Jones was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Randy Owens said. Her passenger, 20-year-old Autumn Tenas of St. Ignatius, remained in stable condition Tuesday afternoon at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula.
The women were northbound on Hwy. 93 at about 9 p.m. in a 2000 Chevy Blazer when Jones braked and swerved to the right to avoid a deer. She overcorrected to the left, and the vehicle rolled 1 3/4 times, coming to rest on the driver’s side in the southbound lane. Neither woman was wearing a seatbelt, Owens said, and Jones was partially ejected and trapped beneath the vehicle.
Traffic on Hwy. 93 was stopped for at least an hour, Owens said, and only one lane was open for another half hour after that. Road conditions were dry, and weather didn’t appear to be a factor in causing the crash, Owens said.
“It appears that it was just swerving to avoid the deer,” he said.
