Natural Death Involved in Christmas Day Crash

Outgoing Sheriff Glen Meier and Acting Sheriff Vernon Buerkle discussed the details of a Christmas Day crash along Highway 24 between Glasgow and St Marie: The driver was an 81-year-old Valley County resident, Terry Delbert Fuhrman.

The Sheriff’s Office believes the individual died of a heart-attack prior to driving off the road. “It wasn’t a DUI or anything like that,” said Meier, stressing the cause was natural and it’s very likely the driver died before the crash.

According to Meier, the cause of death is still not officially confirmed, pending an autopsy in Billings, but Buerkle and Meier both confirmed that the Sheriff’s office currently believed the cause was a natural heart-attack, based on the reports by the doctors in Valley County.

Fuhrman was driving alone and no other vehicles were involved in the crash. Emergency services did respond to the scene.