Rock Slide Crushes Montana Lawmaker’s Home in Billings

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Officials say it may take days to clear a rockslide in Billings that damaged a home and temporarily trapped a state lawmaker who lives there.

The Billings Gazette reports the house at the base of the Rimrocks was crushed early Saturday and that a neighbor helped free Republican Rep. Bill Mercer, an attorney who was trapped inside.

The slide left a trail of large boulders that are blocking the residential street. Billings public works director Dave Mumford says the cleanup will begin after a geotechnical expert assesses the stability of the slide area.

Mumford says it may take a few days to clear the street. He says people should avoid the area because the slope and the house both appear unstable.

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Information from: The Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com