FERGUS COUNTY, MT — A semi-truck that caught fire and exploded along Highway 191 in Fergus County early Sunday has left investigators with few answers, as witnesses recount a chaotic scene and authorities continue to examine whether gunfire played any role.
The Fergus County Sheriff’s Office said Monday it has not been able to confirm initial reports that the truck was shot at, noting that key evidence may have been destroyed in the blaze. Officials described the case as an active and ongoing investigation.
Listen to a witness recount the fire:
Related: Semi-truck shot at, destroyed by fire on Montana Highway
Jeremy Olds, who was driving home to Great Falls with his children around 4 a.m., was among the first to find the burning semi parked along the highway south of Eddie’s Corner.
“I was the first truck on scene," said Olds. "I had seen the rear tire of the truck on fire ... I had no idea what was going on."
Olds said he ran toward the truck to check for a driver, but found the cab locked and no one responding inside.
"When I got up to the truck, I noticed it was still running, so I decided to run up towards the door handle. I grabbed the door handle. It was locked," said Olds. “I jumped up on the truck and looked in there, and I was yelling, 'Hello, hello, anyone there?' Nobody was responding to the situation at hand.”
Within minutes, Olds said, the fire intensified and spread rapidly, eventually engulfing the entire vehicle. He described a moment when the situation turned even more dangerous.
“When it started dripping, I was like, 'Oh, crap, I got to kind of get moving,' so I took off running," he said. "Then the explosion happened."
Shortly afterward, a tour bus arrived at the scene. Nashville country singer Jeremy McComb, who was on that bus, posted a video of the incident to social media.
“We’re like in the middle of a crazy movie right now. It’s insane,” McComb said in the video. "Not something that you see all the time.”
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies initially responded to a 911 report suggesting the semi driver may have been shot at by another vehicle. A short time later, authorities located a vehicle matching the description and detained its driver at gunpoint without incident.
That individual has since been released, and investigators have not confirmed any connection to a shooting.
Olds said he did not hear gunfire at any point and questioned whether a shooting occurred at all.
“I believe the bang of the gunshots they said was like the rear airbag going off, because that was where the fire was at," he said.
During the law enforcement response, Olds said deputies briefly treated him as a potential suspect, pointing weapons in his direction before determining he was not involved.
“I got back in my truck, pulled over on the side of the road, thinking I was getting out of the cops' way. They stop in front of my truck and come running at me with the guns out, saying, 'Put your hands in the air, hands in the air,' and I'm like, what the heck just happened?” said Olds. "I'm thinking to myself, what a wild ride. What just happened? I don't even understand what just happened, but like, I felt like I was a victim in this situation.”
Authorities later instructed him to leave the area and not pick up anyone along the road.
By morning, little remained of the truck beyond charred debris scattered along the roadside. Investigators said determining the exact cause of the fire and whether gunfire was involved may prove difficult due to the extent of the damage.
For Olds, it's an experience he will never forget.
“I thought I was saving someone's life, and here we are like in a crazy situation, like, how do I come up with this stuff?" he said. “Glad we're all safe, and it wasn't really a situation like that.”
The Fergus County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains ongoing. No additional information has been released.
