Off-duty police officer killed in rollover

Posted 8/4/11

Chretien's wife, Claudette, and three children survived. Feathers said the family members suffered bumps and bruises typical in a crash, but were spared more serious injuries as everyone in the vehicle was wearing seat belts. Becker told the …

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Off-duty police officer killed in rollover

Posted

An off-duty Powell police sergeant traveling with his family in southwest Montana was killed Wednesday when his truck and camper rolled over.

Sgt. Mike Chretien, 38, died after a crash around 1 p.m. near Cardwell, Mont., about 38 miles east of Butte. Montana Highway Patrol Capt. Gary Becker told the Montana Standard that the 2002 Ford pickup was traveling east on I-90 when the camper began to fishtail. The truck went into the median and both the truck and camper rolled.

Though the Highway Patrol did not immediately name who had died in the crash, Powell Police Chief Tim Feathers confirmed Thursday that it was Chretien.

Chretien's wife, Claudette, and three children survived. Feathers said the family members suffered bumps and bruises typical in a crash, but were spared more serious injuries as everyone in the vehicle was wearing seat belts. Becker told the Standard that speed appeared to be a factor in the crash.

Chretien had been with the police department for four years.

"Part of the police culture is we have a tendency to be pretty tight knit, it's kind of viewed as a family. Whenever you lose one, whether it's line of duty or off-duty, it's hard," Feathers said.

He said Chretien was on his way back from vacation.

"We were expecting him to be back at work at 6 o'clock this morning," Feathers said, adding, "Everybody's world's turned upside down. It's a shock."

While police have experience responding to crashes and tragedies, "it hits us just as hard as it hits anybody else."

Funeral services for Chretien have been scheduled for Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. at the Northwest College Cabre Gym and will be open to the community. A reception will follow at the Wyoming Army National Guard Armory.

A bank account to help Chretien's young family has been set up in Mike Chretien's name at Wells Fargo Bank in Powell. The family has asked donations be made to this fund in lieu of flowers.

Editor's note: This version of the story corrects which bank is handling donations for the Chretien family and adds when services will be held.

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