It appears that Montana's distracted driving laws may be having an impact on the state's drivers. During the first year of a state-wide cell phone ban behind the wheel, Bozeman police have stopped nearly 500 drivers and ticketed 106 people because of violations. The law is designed to prevent car accidents that are often caused by inattentive driving, many of which lead to fatalities on Montana roads.
Bozeman police fight crashes with cell phone enforcement
Seven-figure settlement for dead Montana man's family
The family of a Montana man killed while working at an oil well in neighboring North Dakota has reached a confidential settlement with Marathon Oil. Relatives of the victim received an unspecified amount of money in connection with the wrongful death suit they filed after the man's death. Even though Marathon was prepared to go to trial in the matter, the settlement has permitted the dismissal of the case, to the satisfaction of both the oil company and the victim's family members.
Head-on truck accident kills two, injures one
A fiery truck accident on the North Dakota-Montana border has left two men dead and another seriously injured. The collision, which occurred on Highway 200 near the border, happened at about 8:15 p.m. on Feb. 3, according to local authorities.
Teen faces criminal, civil consequences for 2010 hunting death
Even if a personal injury or death is deemed an accident, the person who caused the harm could face civil and criminal charges. That is the case of a 17-year-old boy from Malta, who has been charged with negligent homicide in connection with a 2010 shooting death of his younger friend. Although the hunting death was ruled an accident by earlier investigations, a subsequent check into the matter revealed that the boy may have acted outside the scope of safe gun handling during the incident. The victim's family has filed a wrongful death suit in connection with the case.
