Fatal Accident

Fatal Saturday rollover claims another life; victims identified

Posted: Aug 27, 2012 7:21 AM by Q2 News
Updated: Aug 27, 2012 7:22 AM

BILLINGS - The driver of a rollover accident near Fort Smith Saturday morning that already claimed the life of a passenger has also died.

According to Big Horn County Coroner Terry Bullis, 27-year-old Tyrel Takes Enemy of Fort Smith died Saturday night at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings from injuries he sustained in the rollover.

Bullis also released the identity of the front passenger who died before crews arrived at the scene of the rollover as 25-year-old Denea Espinoza of Hardin.

According to the Montana Highway Patrol, both Takes Enemy and Espinoza were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from a 1999 Mercury heading southbound on Montana Secondary Highway 313 around 2:30a.m., when 8 miles outside of Fort Smith, the car skidded for an unknown reason and went off the road.

The skid caused the car to vault over a ditch, resulting in the car hitting an outbuilding 10 feet above ground level.

Montana Highway Patrol says this caused the car to roll multiple times when it hit the ground.

There were also two children in the back seat of the vehicle.

Both a 1-year-old and 6-year-old were transported by ambulance with Takes Enemy to Billings for their injuries.

The identity of the children remains unknown.

Montana Highway Patrol says both speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.