Two Killed in Multi-Vehicle Crash on Highway 200 Near Lincoln

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff and Coroner Leo Dutton reported that a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 200 near Lincoln on Sunday, Jan. 4, resulted in two fatalities and multiple injuries. Dispatch received calls about the collision at about 10:00 a.m. Three vehicles were involved. The sheriff’s office identified the two people pronounced dead as Michael Smith, 68, of Great Falls, and Josy McLean, 60, of Great Falls. Two other injured people were transported to St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula for treatment.

The sheriff’s office listed blunt force trauma as the preliminary cause of death for the two deceased and classified the manner of death as accidental. The Montana Highway Patrol is leading the ongoing crash investigation. Authorities sent the bodies to the Montana State Crime Lab for autopsy as part of standard procedures to confirm cause and manner of death and to aid the traffic reconstruction process.

Traffic incidents on Highway 200 carry outsized consequences for residents and regional traffic because the route connects rural communities and serves as a corridor for commuters and commercial vehicles. A crash that damages the roadway or requires extended scene work can create hours-long closures that affect emergency medical response times, school and work commutes, and local commerce. In this case, the immediate toll includes the two fatalities and the injuries that required hospital transport, while the longer-term effects include grieving families and renewed attention to safety on a frequently traveled county route.

The ongoing investigation will examine factors such as vehicle speeds, driver actions, road conditions, and any mechanical issues. Until investigators release findings, authorities have not attributed the crash to a single cause. The involvement of multiple vehicles, the classification of deaths as accidental, and the use of the state crime lab reflect the procedural steps that local and state agencies take after serious highway collisions.

For residents, the incident raises policy questions that fall to elected county and state officials: how to balance maintenance and safety investments on rural highways, whether to increase targeted patrols and enforcement on high-risk stretches, and how to coordinate emergency response across jurisdictions. Residents can raise these issues with county commissioners and state legislators and monitor Montana Highway Patrol updates to stay informed about the investigation and any recommended safety measures. Local officials will face decisions about public safety priorities that may be informed by the investigation’s final report.