Investigation finds second wreck fatal for passenger
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
A Ronan man is accused of driving while under the influence of alcohol and causing a car wreck that killed his passenger. Kenneth Lozeau Jr. entered a plea of not guilty at District Court in Polson on Sept. 3 to felony vehicular homicide.
According to court records, on May 23, emergency personnel responded to the report of a one-vehicle rollover on U.S. Highway 35, near Fulkerson Lane. At the scene, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper observed a 1999 Chevy Silverado was upside down on the east side of the highway.
A female passenger, later identified as Ruby Dae Saluskin, 23, died at the scene from blunt force trauma. The ambulance crew treated Lozeau at the site of the wreck.
An investigation showed that Lozeau and Saluskin had been drinking earlier in the day, and before the fatal wreck, the two had gotten the Silverado unstuck from a wreck on Hellroaring Road. A resident told investigators that he had helped the two free the vehicle during the first wreck.
After the first wreck, the witness said Lozeau took over as the driver. The investigation also showed that Lozeau was traveling south when he failed to negotiate the curve at Fulkerson corner, which is when the Silverado rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its top.
District Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher set the case for trial on March 3.
