Two women killed in U.S. Highway 2 wreck

Two 18-year-old Great Falls women were killed in a car accident on Highway 2 Wednesday near Essex.

The women were identified as Caitlin Benner and her passenger, Vanessa Fitzgerald. An infant in the vehicle, which was strapped properly into a car seat, survived.

The infant was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for observation.

Benner’s car was eastbound when it crossed over the opposite lane, struck a guardrail and then collided with a Sprinter-type van that was traveling westbound. The van tried to avoid the collision, but the two vehicles struck nearly head-on.

The driver of the van, a man from Kalispell, was uninjured.

The Great Fall Tribune reported that alcohol and drugs were not suspected in the crash. The Montana Highway Patrol continues to investigate the accident.