Motorcyclist Killed In Collision With Elk Near Drummond

A 62 year-old motorcyclist from Bozeman was killed early Monday morning after colliding with an adult cow elk on I-90 near Drummond. 

Granite County Sheriff Scott Dunkerson said the collision occurred just after 5:00 a.m.

"A little after 5 o'clock this morning, emergency crews were dispatched to a couple of miles east of Drummond on I-90 for a report of a motorcycle verses elk," Dunkerson said. "The driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was a 62 year-old male from Bozeman."

Dunkerson said the motorcyclist was wearing protective apparel at the time of the crash.

"The motorcycle was a Harley Davidson, and the driver was wearing a helmet and leathers, he had the full safety gear on. He struck a full sized cow elk, and it was a violent collision. The Highway Patrol did not have an estimate of the speed of the motorcycle, but the elk was thrown a pretty substantial distance."

Dunkerson and the Montana Highway Patrol has advice for motorcyclists traveling on Montana's roads and highways in the summer.

"It was very dark at the time of the crash, so I would advise folks that are riding motorcycles to wait for daylight hours to do so," he said. "We urge extreme caution because there's a lot of wildlife as everybody knows on the Montana highways."

According to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, an adult female elk can weigh upwards of 500 pounds, and the Montana Department of Transportation says there is a collision between a vehicle and wildlife every 39 minutes.

The motorcyclists name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.