Man killed in crash after falling asleep on way home from oilfields

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A 27-year-old man was killed early Wednesday morning on his drive from working in the oilfields of Williston to his home in Wyoming, the Montana Highway Patrol reports.

It appears Terry Bethancourt of Rock Springs, Wyo., fell asleep while driving south on Highway 16 about 21 miles north of Glendive, Mont., at about 12:35 a.m., Trooper Michael Briggs said.

He drifted off the road, woke up, corrected to the left and overcorrected to the right, Briggs said. The Ford pickup truck he was driving then slid into a ditch sideways, causing a rollover and he was ejected, he added. There were no passengers.

Highway 16 is a primary highway that leads from Canada south and is just west of Williston.

“He was working for the oilfields and heading home was the destination after the work week,” Briggs said.

Bethancourt was not wearing a seatbelt, Briggs said. A passerby called in the accident and he was deceased upon arrival of emergency workers, Briggs said.

“The state patrol highly encourages the use of seatbelts,” he said. “Proper restraint in a vehicle does reduce injury and fatality.”

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