HELENA, Mont. (AP) – A fire engine and a pickup truck collided on a Montana highway, causing an explosion and fire that killed a family of five and a volunteer fire chief, authorities said. There were no survivors.
The wreckage “was just all melted together” in the blaze Thursday night, Jefferson County sheriff’s Deputy Bob Gleich said.
The fire engine driven by Three Forks Volunteer Fire Department Chief Todd Rummel was heading east on U.S. Highway 12 when it collided with the westbound pickup about 10 miles east of Helena, forcing both vehicles into a ditch, authorities said.
Killed in the pickup were a Helena couple and their three young children, Montana Highway Patrol Capt. Gary Becker said. Their names and ages were not immediately released.
It could be weeks before investigators determine the cause of the crash, he said.