‘Ice Road Truckers’ star dies in Montana plane crash
MISSOULA, Mont. — A plane crash in western Montana has killed a star of the History channel reality show “Ice Road Truckers” and another man.
History spokeswoman Susan Ievoli confirmed Monday that 52-year-old Darrell Ward died Sunday in the fiery crash on the shoulder of Interstate 90, southeast of Missoula.
Missoula County sheriff’s Capt. Bill Burt says the pilot appeared to be trying to land at a small airstrip when “something went drastically wrong.” Witnesses say the plane went through a stand of trees, hitting some of them.
A statement on Ward’s Facebook page said he was traveling to Montana to begin filming a pilot episode of a new documentary-style show about the recovery of plane wrecks.
Burt says the pilot, 56-year-old Mark Melotz, bought the Cessna 182 on Friday.
“Ice Road Truckers” follows truckers who bring supplies across frozen lakes to work camps and remote towns.
