Fatal Accident

Circumstances of Stillwater County death remain unclear

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 10:35 AM by Q2 News
Updated: Mar 4, 2013 10:35 AM

BILLINGS- The Montana Highway Patrol says circumstances surrounding the death of a 24-year-old Billings woman discovered in her car in a Columbus, Montana ditch remains unclear Monday.

According to Sergeant Buck O'Neill, the woman was found deceased sitting in the driver's seat of her vehicle at the bottom of a ditch near Pike Ave and U.S. Highway 10 in Columbus, Montana shortly before 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.

O'Neill says Montana Highway Patrol believes the woman ended up in the ditch in the early morning hours of Sunday, but it's not yet clear how or why the car ended up in the ditch, but it appeared the woman was the only occupant of the vehicle.

The nose of the car did appear to sustain minor damage and an airbag was deployed.

However, O'Neill says the woman did not appear to have sustained serious injuries resulting from her car ending up in the ditch.

An autopsy report is expected to identify the cause of death.

Until then, the death remains under investigation.