Lewis and Clark County, MT — July 12, 2025, One person was killed following a car accident that occurred at around 2:00 A.M. on I-15.
According to reports, a vehicle operated by Michelle Coumaros was traveling south on Interstate 15 near the Augusta exit when for unknown reasons the vehicle lost control and struck a guardrail, ejecting Coumaros.
When first responders arrived on the scene they found Coumaros fatally injured and she was pronounced deceased. No other vehicles were involved in the collision, and officials have not released an update on the investigation’s status.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a vehicle crashes without warning, strikes a guardrail, and results in a fatal ejection, the immediate question isn’t just what happened—but why the vehicle veered off course and whether something failed along the way. These types of single-vehicle incidents often demand a closer look than they receive.
1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
Losing control on a highway and striking a fixed object should prompt a full-scale reconstruction. Investigators should examine tire marks, vehicle path, steering and braking patterns, and whether any maneuvers were attempted prior to impact. The severity of the outcome—especially involving ejection—calls for detailed work to determine whether this was purely a matter of driver action or something else that disrupted control. If that level of investigation hasn’t occurred, important clues could be gone.
2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
When there’s no clear reason for a loss of control, a mechanical failure needs to be considered. That includes issues with the steering system, brakes, suspension, or even a sudden tire blowout. The fact that the driver was ejected also raises questions about the integrity and performance of the restraint systems. If the vehicle wasn’t closely inspected for these possibilities, a key factor may still be missing from the picture.
3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
Most vehicles today store crash-related data like speed, throttle use, steering input, and braking. This can reveal whether the driver attempted to regain control—and whether the vehicle responded properly. GPS and mobile phone activity can also help determine what was happening just before the crash. If this data wasn’t secured quickly, the opportunity to clarify those final moments may have already passed.
A crash without witnesses or other vehicles involved doesn’t mean the facts are out of reach—it just means they have to be found in the evidence left behind.
Takeaways:
- Highway crashes with ejection require full scene reconstruction and review of driver input.
- Mechanical or restraint system failures must be ruled out through detailed inspection.
- Electronic vehicle data is key to understanding what happened in the moments before the crash.
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