Speed a factor in fatal Arlee wreck

By Maggie Plummer

ARLEE - Eight-year-old Kayla Thompson of Missoula died in a car crash Saturday morning on U.S. 93 just north of Arlee, Lake County Coroner Ed Todd said Monday.

The girl's mother, Trudy Thompson, was injured in the wreck and at press time was in critical condition in a Seattle hospital. Todd said that the woman is expected to recover from her injuries.

A Montana Highway Patrol spokesperson said that speed played a role in the crash. According to witnesses, the northbound vehicle in which the Thompsons were riding was speeding and passing other traffic in an aggressive and reckless way.

According to the highway patrol, another vehicle was stopped on the road to turn left. The driver of the speeding car, the girl's uncle, was unable to stop quickly enough, swerved, overcorrected, and went into the oncoming lane where a semi-truck hit its passenger side.

The Thompson family recently moved to Missoula County from Oregon, according to reports.

Both drivers involved - the girl's uncle and the driver of the semi - were not injured in the wreck.