Cochrane girl killed in Montana highway crash

Montana crash scene (photo courtesy: Billie Roberts)

A Sunday afternoon highway collision in Montana has claimed the life of a six-year-old Alberta girl.

Krissie Lynn Shirlaw of Cochrane passed away after the SUV her mother was driving collided head-on with a pickup truck on Highway 93, north of Whitefish.

Police believe the northbound SUV had swerved into the southbound lane of the highway and encountered the oncoming truck.  The force of the impact sent the SUV into the air, before it came to a rest on the vehicle’s roof.

Krissie was pronounced dead at the scene.

Krissie’s two brothers, aged four and eight, and her 30-year-old mother were injured in the crash. The surviving members are receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Whitefish.  The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time

The driver of the pickup truck, a 60-year-old Montana man, was injured in the crash and transported to the Kalispell hospital.

Officials with the Montana Highway Patrol say everyone involved was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.

With files from the Canadian Press