Lame Deer Standout Dies In Crash

Journey Emerson, a former Lame Deer boys’ basketball star, died in a vehicle crash Friday, July 26, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

Emerson set the state single- game scoring record in 2022 while playing for the Morning Stars. He accounted for 82 points in his performance against Forsyth. That total remains a state record.

Emerson signed with Bacone College of Oklahoma out of high school and later attended Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer.

Media reports said he was traveling with his daughter to drop her off with his girlfriend’s grandmother. He was going to play in a softball tournament in Billings. His daughter has been listed in intensive care.

The Montana Highway Patrol reports that Emerson was attempting to pass a commercial vehicle in Bighorn County. His vehicle collided head on in the westbound lane. His vehicle rotated clockwise and came to rest in the eastbound lane. A total of seven individuals were listed as injured from the crash.