Going-to-the-Sun wrecks spark fire, shut down traffic in Glacier National Park • Daily Montanan

Several car crashes on Going-to-the-Sun Road, including one that caused a brief fire and sent one person to the hospital, caused traffic jams Wednesday evening, Glacier National Park said Thursday.

The park said the injured person was sent to the hospital to determine the extent of their injuries.

Glacier described the incidents as follows:

On Wednesday, at approximately 5:40 p.m., park dispatch received reports of a crash and a vehicle on fire approximately two miles east of the Apgar Campground exit.

A 70-year-old Texas man fell asleep and drove off the road on the side of Lake McDonald while driving west. The car hit a tree and then caught fire.

The driver and a 65-year-old passenger were able to exit the vehicle alone. Other motorists stopped to help him.

The passenger was sent by ambulance to Logan Health in Whitefish to determine the extent of the injuries.

The fire left a scar about 20 by 20 yards on the lake side of the road, with flames in one spot extending from the base of the trees to the tops. Fire departments from Martin City and Hungry Horse extinguished the blaze. The car was destroyed.

The ALERT helicopter was called and landed near the park but did not attend the accident scene as the passenger chose to be transported by ambulance.

The accident disrupted traffic on Going-to-the-Sun Road for three hours.

Two separate earlier accidents shortly after 3 p.m. slowed traffic at the park entrance and on “the loop.”

An accident midway between the Loop and the West Tunnel occurred when a vehicle swerved to miss another vehicle that crossed the yellow line, causing the first vehicle to collide with a rock outcrop and disable it.

Around the same time, two vehicles collided while exiting two lanes of road at the park entrance. No injuries were reported in either accident.

Glacier National Park would like to thank the Martin City, Hungry Horse and Coram Fire Departments, ALERT Helicopter, Trois-Rivières Ambulance and other visitors who stopped to assist until rangers and paramedics arrived on scene.