A family vacation ended in tragedy after a Missouri man died from severe injuries caused by a 45-pound rock that crashed through the roof of a Jeep at Glacier National Park in Montana.
Rex Schowengerdt, 73, was traveling with his wife of 50 years, his sister, and his brother-in-law along the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road when the incident occurred near Logan Pass—the highest point of the scenic route at 6,646 feet above sea level.
Details of the Incident
The retired couple had driven over 1,300 miles from Kansas City, Missouri, to visit the park. Schowengerdt, an avid outdoors enthusiast who was seated in the back of the vehicle next to his wife, suffered a catastrophic brain injury when the rock struck the roof of the Jeep.
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- Emergency Response: Schowengerdt was airlifted from the park to a regional hospital, where he was placed in intensive care.
- Outcome: Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries five days after the accident.
- Organ Donation: Schowengerdt’s family shared that his cornea and tissue donations successfully restored the vision of two individuals.
Safety Record along Going-to-the-Sun Road
Rockfalls are an inherent risk along mountain passes, particularly on steep, carved routes like the 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road. This incident marks the first fatality on the highway since 2019, when a 14-year-old girl from Utah was killed in a similar rockfall incident.
A celebration of life honoring Rex Schowengerdt was arranged by his family, including his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
