C-Falls man killed in ATV wreck

A 30-year-old Columbia Falls man was killed while riding an ATV on Sophie Lake Road near Eureka on Saturday, April 18.

According to Montana Highway Patrol trooper Neil Duram, Andrew John Mahncke was riding at a high rate of speed when he sideswiped another ATV at about 2:50 a.m. Mahncke and the ATV went off the road into a wooded area and hit several trees.

First responders performed CPR while waiting for an ambulance, but Mahncke was pronounced dead in the ambulance.

Duram said Mahncke had been drinking and he was wearing a helmet, but the helmet wasn’t properly fastened.

The ATV that Mahncke hit was being driven by a 32-year-old Columbia Falls man but had stopped in the roadway. The second man and his passenger, a 26-year-old woman from Columbia Falls, were not hurt.

The accident happened near the Swisher Lake Equestrian Trailhead on Sophie Lake Road. A large gathering of ATV enthusiasts were in the area for the annual Koocanusa Fun Days events.

The Montana Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.