MTI student dies in W. River crash

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LANTRY — A Mitchell Technical Institute student died at 6:29 p.m. Friday as the result of a two-vehicle collision about four miles south of Highway 212 in rural Ziebach County, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

Tribal Police Chief Burton In-The-Woods confirmed the death of Arleigh Jay McLellan, 18, of Lantry, but declined to provide further details.

He said the accident remains under investigation by Det. Gordon Leaf of the tribal police.

In-The-Woods did confirm that the vehicle in which McLellan and another man were traveling collided with another vehicle driven by an unnamed woman and her daughter. No information was available on the condition of the mother-daughter pair.

The Ziebach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a tip to The Daily Republic that McClellan’s passenger was Charge Hebb, of Lantry. Hebb was taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital for treatment. The hospital confirmed that Hebb was discharged Monday.

McLellan’s funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Dupree school gym.

MTI President Greg Von Wald said Monday that McLellan was a first-year agriculture technology student at MTI.

“We will send a memorial and flowers and a number of teaching staff will attend,” he said. “Students will also be given the opportunity to attend the services without incurring an absence.

“Our sympathy goes out to his family and our hearts break for such a young man who had so much potential.”

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