Helena hockey player Winfield dies in crash

A 19-year-old Bighorns hockey player, Wyatt Winfield, died early Friday morning after a motor vehicle accident that happened shortly after midnight.A passenger in the vehicle, an 18-year-old, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Lewis and Clark County Coroner Mickey Nelson.Sheriff Leo Dutton said emergency dispatchers received a 911 call about 12:40 a.m. Friday from the driver of a vehicle that was following the 1997 silver Dodge truck Winfield was in. The truck rolled over near mile marker 13 on Lincoln Road, which is between the Canyon Creek store and the Marysville turnoff.
Dutton said when his deputies and the Montana Highway Patrol arrived, they found Winfield in extremely critical condition with “multiple systems trauma.”

“He was transported by ambulance to St. Peter’s Hospital, and died a little after 4 a.m.,” Dutton said.He added that alcohol isn’t considered a factor at this point; instead, he said MHP is investigating whether some type of mechanical problem with the truck caused the accident.
Helena Bighorns’ President Mike Butters noted that the team has suffered a great tragedy with Winfield’s death.

“Our deepest sympathies go to Wyatt’s family and friends,” said Butters. “Wyatt has been a huge part of our family here and we are grieving as a team. I have seen his growth as a player and person and his passing affects us all deeply.”
Winfield was a Helena native who was in his fourth season in Helena. He played his entire junior hockey career in the Queen City and was one of just a handful of local players to play on the city’s Junior A team, the Bighorns.
Buttters said Winfield’s passion for the game and commitment to his team was immense.
He added that the Bighorns players met Friday morning and decided they would go ahead with that evening’s playoff game against Missoula to honor Winfield.

Bighorns team captain Ben Henne offered his deepest sympathies to Winfield’s family on behalf of the team.“We are dedicating tonight’s game and the rest of this season to the memory of Wyatt,” Henne said. “He was one of the best teammates I have ever played with.”The Bighorns organization encouraged people who knew Winfield to attend the game to show their support for his family and teammates.