>> TONIGHT ON Q2, A HERO JUMPS INTO ACTION. MY MAIN FOCUS AT THAT POINT HE'S GETTING I'M OUT IN MEANS NECESSARY 3 TEEN GIRL SAVED AFTER THEIR CAR SKIDS OFF THE ROAD IN THE BOTTOM OF A BILLINGS CANAL WILL SHARE THE STORY OF AN INCREDIBLE RESCUE AND A COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND. REMEMBER? WE'LL HEAR HOW LORETTA LYNN'S JOURNEY TO STARDOM BEGAN WITH A BILLINGS CONNECTION AND START GETTING ALL KINDS ASKING >> THIS GIRL WAS A HIT.
THE MTN NEWS STARTS RIGHT NOW. DAN IS NEWS LEADER. THIS IS THE MTN 5.30, NEWS. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. AND THANKS FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. I'M RUSS RIESINGER >> OUR TOP STORY, 3 TEENS WITH A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE TONIGHT. THANKS TO THE ACTIONS OF A QUICK THINKING. HERO, THE GIRLS CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD AND ENDED UP IN THE BIG DITCH NEAR ROSE PARK MONDAY NIGHT. THAT'S WHEN THEY WERE RESCUED BY A MAN WHO WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. OUR CHARLIE KLEPPS SPOKE WITH THAT GOOD SAMARITAN HAS THE STORY. >> AREA MAY SEEM CALM NOW, BUT JUST YESTERDAY IT WAS ALMOST A SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY. A CAR CARRYING 3 YOUNG PASSENGERS SWERVED OFF OF THIS ROAD INTO THIS IRRIGATION DITCH BEHIND ME.
BUT LUCKILY FOR THOSE TRAPPED INSIDE ONE BILLINGS MAN QUICKLY SPRUNG INTO ACTION WHEN TRAVIS ALTER ARRIVED AT HIS SON'S JV FOOTBALL GAME MONDAY NIGHT, HE COULD NEVER OF THE MATCH. AND AN HOUR LATER HE WOULD BE SAVING OF ALWAYS KIND OF BEEN BUILT THAT WAY. BUT IT WAS JUST HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE IT WAS KIND OF RIGHT AT YOUR LAST. >> AND THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE. SELTZERS SON HAD JUST SCORED A TOUCHDOWN WHEN HE NOTICED A CAR DRIVING DOWN THE DIRT ROAD NEAR THE DITCH. SECONDS LATER, HE HEARD A SOUND WILL NEVER FORGET. IT WAS IT WAS A LOUD, SCARY SOUND WHEN THAT CAR HIT THE WATER, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT CAUGHT THE ATTENTION. EVERYBODY ON THE FIELD WHERE ALMOST THE GAME WAS PUT ON DELAY FOR A BRIEF SECOND BECAUSE WE JUST KNEW SOMETHING. SOMETHING WAS WRONG. SALTER IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF SPRINTING AND WITHOUT GIVING A SECOND THOUGHT JUMPED INTO THE WATER. I DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS IN THE CAR.
DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THE BUT MY MY MAIN FOCUS AT THAT POINT WAS GETTING >> THEM OUT IN ANY MEANS NECESSARY. HE FRANTICALLY TRIED OPENING THE DOORS OF THE CAR AS IT BEGAN TO FILL UP WITH WATER THAT DIDN'T WORK. SO HE THEN HAD TO RESORT TO BREAKING THE WINDOW OUT WITH HIS BARE HANDS. AND I JUST KIND OF MEMBER THE GIRLS JUST THE KIND OF LOOKS ON THEIR FACE. THEY WERE SCREAMING AS THE WINDOW BROKE I MEAN, THEY COULDN'T GET THERE FAST ENOUGH. THEY'RE PROBABLY UP TO THEIR CHEST HIGH WATER AT THAT POINT IN TIME. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME SALTER HAS ATTEMPTED TO RESCUE A STRANGER AT OF WATER WHEN HE WAS A STUDENT AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE SALTER WAS CONFRONTED WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION AT RIVERFRONT PARK. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT PERSON WASN'T SO LUCKY TRYING TO SAVE A GUY THAT GONE IN. ONLY IT WAS. WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SO. THIS FOR ME WAS ALMOST LIKE A REDEMPTION KIND OF STORY.
SALTER SAID HE'S THANKFUL MONDAY AND THEN MUCH DIFFERENTLY A DAY. HE'LL NEVER FORGET. I WAS JUST HAPPY THAT IT ENDED THE WAY IT DID AND THAT THE PARENTS REALLY ABLE TO TO GIVE THEIR DAUGHTERS HUGS AT THE END OF THE NIGHT AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE AT HOME WITH THEM IN BILLINGS, CHARLIE KLEPPS MTN NEWS. >> AN 11 YEAR-OLD IS IN THE HOSPITAL TONIGHT WITH SERIOUS INJURIES AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR WHILE RIDING HIS BIKE TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING. THAT ACCIDENT HAPPENING AT THE INTERSECTION OF BRENTWOOD LANE AND LYMAN AVENUE. NOT FAR FROM PALI DRIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA.
IT'S ONE THEY SAW COMING BUT HOPED COULD BE AVOIDED. OUR KELSEY MERISON HAS THE STORY. >> I'M STANDING RIGHT WHERE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED TUESDAY MORNING JUST BEFORE SCHOOL. THE DEBRIS HAS ALL BEEN CLEANED UP NOW. BUT THIS INTERSECTION CERTAINLY LOOKED A LOT DIFFERENT IN THE MOMENTS AFTER THE CRASH. IT WAS A TRAUMATIZING SCENE FOR CLASSMATES ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL >> LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND I COULD SEE, THOUGH, THE LITTLE BOY LAYING ON THE STREET AND THERE WAS A SEVERAL PEOPLE.
THERE WERE AROUND HIM TRYING RENDER AID PEOPLE ON THE PHONES ARE SOON CALLING 9-1-1, OP OR RUSH OUT OF HIS BRENTWOOD LANE HOME TUESDAY MORNING AFTER CIENA MANGLED BIKE AND AN INJURED CHILD LYING IN THE STREET. A RETIRED MARINE COLONEL CHESTER KNEW HE HAD TO ACT FAST. SO HE BROUGHT A BLANKET OUT TO WRAP AROUND THE INJURED 3RD GRADER. >> AND ONE OF THE >> WHEN SOMEBODY IS HURT LIKE THAT, POSSIBLY WANT IN CHARGE DURING WAR, THINK BLANKET OUT. >> AND I COVERED IN MY LUCKILY, MANY OTHERS ALSO RUSHED TO HELP, INCLUDING THE BOY'S TEACHER. HOLLY DRIVE ELEMENTARY IS JUST 2 BLOCKS AWAY. WITNESSES SAY THAT WHILE THE CHILD WAS IN OBVIOUS PAIN, HE WAS AWAKE AND ALERT.
YOU HAVE A >> WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO HIS WELL BEING WITHOUT IT. THINK THE SITUATION WOULD BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT. >> BILLINGS POLICE SAY THE DRIVER WAS CITED FOR CARELESS DRIVING. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW FAST THAT PERSON WAS DRIVING. BUT RESIDENTS HERE SAY THE DRIVER IS WELL KNOWN FOR SPEEDING THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE STREET HAS SINCE BEEN CLEARED, BUT CHESTER SAYS THE 11 YEAR-OLD WAS HIT SO HARD. HIS SHOE FELL OFF AND THE LICENSE PLATE WAS KNOCKED OFF OF THE VEHICLE. MULTIPLE WITNESSES SAY THE BACK WHEEL OF THE BIKE WAS RIPPED FROM ITS FRAME. FORTUNATELY IN A LETTER TO PARENTS, THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL SAYS THE CHILD IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A FULL RECOVERY. THE NEIGHBORS AROUND I WONDERFUL COMING OUT. >> ASSISTING REFRESHING. IT'S A TRAUMATIC SCENE, BUT ONE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN WORSE IN BOB CHESTER HOPES IT'LL SERVE AS A LESSON TO ALL TO SLOW DOWN. I MEAN, NOW. >> WHAT SOME COME FROM THIS DIRECTION. AND COMES FROM HERE.
AND THEY'RE ALL GOING ON BECAUSE THE SCHOOL, I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF PEOPLE NEED TO TO BE MORE AWARE IN BILLINGS, KELSEY MERISON MTN NEWS. >> WELL, TONIGHT WE GET A PEEK INSIDE THE MONTANA STATE CRIME LAB. >> THAT'S WHERE CASES OF FENTANYL ARE BEING ANALYZED IN CRIMINAL CASES CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION HERE IN THE TREASURE STATE, ANNE'S ANDREA LUTZ VISITED THE CRIME LAB TO LEARN SOME ALARMING NUMBERS ABOUT THE UPTICK IN CASES.
