Impairment suspected in head-on collision along Montana Highway 83
FLATHEAD, MT, (December 01, 2024) - One person died and two others were severely hurt on Sunday in a head-on accident near Bigfork in Flathead County.
Wyatt Potts died and his fiancee, Teressa Brandt, was critically injured on Sunday when a pickup truck slammed head-on into their vehicle along Montana Highway 83 in Flathead County.
According to the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP), a Ford F-150 pickup truck heading southbound along Montana Highway 83 tried to pass another motorist in a no-passing zone and struck a northbound Toyota RAV4 head-on just after 5 p.m.
A passenger in the Toyota, identified as 33-year-old Kalispell resident Wyatt Potts, tragically died in the wreck. His fiance, 33-year-old Teressa Brandt, and her 15-year-old daughter were hospitalized with serious injuries.
The driver of the pickup and a passenger in the vehicle were hospitalized with unspecified injuries.
Authorities say impairment and speed are potential factors. The incident remains under investigation.
HEAD-ON CRASH INVESTIGATION
The most common cause of head-on accidents is driver error. However, they are also caused by speeding, distracted driving, drunken driving, poor road design, inexperienced drivers, and confusion from the driver.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 42,915 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2021, an increase of over 10 percent from 2020.
“Contributing factors to be examined include road conditions, visibility, and lighting,” said Candice Bond, a Managing Partner with Bond Legal.
“An accident reconstruction team is sometimes needed to help piece together what happened. All of these resources are necessary for helping clients receive monetary compensation for damages or a loss following a collision,” said Bond, an experienced auto accident attorney.
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM
Pending the investigation, the family of Wyatt Potts may pursue a wrongful death claim. Family members of wrongful death victims may seek damages for loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and emotional distress following a tragic or catastrophic accident such as this.
"In the wake of a catastrophic accident, families deserve peace of mind. Completing an independent investigation while big insurance corporations want to weaken your case requires an attorney with full knowledge of the complex legal process and resources to fight by your side.
"Losing a loved one due to someone else’s negligence is an unimaginable tragedy. While no amount of compensation can bring them back, an experienced attorney can hold responsible parties accountable and help secure justice for your family."
If you or a family member have been involved in a situation similar to this article and would like to speak to our national legal analyst Candice Bond free of charge, please use the contact information found on this page.
(Candice Bond, our national legal analyst, is a Managing Partner at Bond Legal. Newsline can and does use quotes from prior interviews with our analysts for our news articles. If you would like to contact Bond Legal to help you, please call 866-985-6515 or use the submission box found on this page. Legal analysts quoted may or may not be licensed in your state).