Hunter dies after he’s shot accidentally inside car, Montana officials say

A Montana hunter died after a rifle accidentally went off in a car, police said.

Joseph Burgess, 51, from Corvallis, had gone on a hunting trip Saturday,, the Ravalli County Sheriff said in a Monday news release. He died of a gunshot wound after a rifle was discharged inside of a vehicle, the sheriff said.

“A hunting companion called 911 and the party drove to meet the responding Sheriff’s Deputies and Marcus Daly EMS. Burgess was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the sheriff said. “Sheriff’s investigators and Deputy Coroner’s determined the manner of death was accidental.”

In 2017, more than 480 people in the U.S. died from unintentional gun deaths, according to data from the Pew Research Center. In total, 39,773 people died from gun-related injuries during that year, according to the center.

“The RCSO would also stress that firearms safety rules can never be relaxed,” the sheriff said. “Always unload firearms before transporting them and control the muzzle at all times.”