Investigators Determine Cause of Fatal Crash on Highway 12

Investigators have completed the initial report of a June 19 fatal crash in which six people were killed on Highway 12 not far from East Helena.

John Barnes, spokesman for Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, said on Monday that the report will now be checked for accuracy by a team of specialists before releasing it to the public.

"The Montana Highway Patrol has completed their investigation into this fatal accident," Barnes said. "Per the process we have put in place for this investigation, their findings are now being reviewed by a team of crash reconstructionists in the patrol. These are experts in the field, in fact, these are the folks that do the crash reconstruction teaching at the state law enforcement academy. They are going through the findings in sort of a peer review process."

Barnes said the review is one more step to ensure thoroughness and accuracy in the report.

In the fiery crash, a family of five was killed, along with a fire chief on Highway 12 east of Helena.