MISSOULA — Drivers on U.S. Highway 93 near Lolo, and Brooks Street in Missoula, experienced a long delay of traffic on Thursday, February 8, 2024.
A flatbed semi-truck rolled over on its side while traveling southbound toward Lolo at 8:50 a.m.
It blocked both southbound lanes and also knocked over a concrete barrier, stopping traffic in one northbound lane.
The truck was carrying large, decorative stones, which were scattered across the highway.
Montana Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Jay Nelson considers the incident a non-injury crash.
But the driver was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Sgt. Nelson says the driver, who was cited for reckless driving, was traveling too fast.
MHP encourages commuters to use extra caution while driving in the winter.
“Winter time is upon us, we have to drive for the current conditions,” Sgt. Nelson says.
The 10-hour cleanup was mostly due to the location of the incident.
Despite U.S. Highway 93 being a high-traffic route, there are no detours available in the area.
“You couldn’t have a worse spot for this type of crash,” Sgt. Nelson says.
The heavily backed-up traffic made it difficult for tow wrecker operators from Missoula to get to the scene.
Additionally, the cleanup of the large stones was slow and required special equipment.
Sgt. Nelson called the incident the “perfect storm” of unfortunate conditions.
Three out of four lanes on Highway 93 were closed in the area until crews could remove the barrier from the northbound lane, a process that took four hours.
One southbound lane opened for a period of time, but it closed again while operators cleaned up the rest of the wreck.
Sgt. Nelson says he recognizes the frustration that drivers faced and also notes that all of the agencies were working as fast as possible to clear the crash.
“Yes, there was a delay, but we try to get these mitigated as quick as possible and as safe as possible,” Sgt. Nelson told MTN News.
MHP, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and the Missoula Rural Fire District were all at the scene of Thursday's crash.
