Idaho Law Blog

Idaho State Police are continuing their investigation of a crash that occurred on December 17^th in Island Park, Idaho. The crash took place on US 20 near mile marker 386, at roughly 7:47 p.m. The two vehicles involved included a grey 2006 Toyota Matrix, and a white 2021 Freightliner.

The Toyota, carrying two women from Jacksonville, Florida, a 24-year-old woman with a 23-year-old female passenger, was traveling eastbound. As they were traveling, they veered over the center line and struck the other vehicle, the oncoming Freightliner. The Freightliner contained two men from Brooklyn, New York, the 31-year-old driver, and his 39-year-old passenger.

None of the individuals involved in this accident sustained major injuries. The occupants of the Toyota were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries, and the occupants of the Freightliner had their injuries checked and treated at the scene. All four individuals wore seatbelts at the time of the accident.

On December 20^th, 2024, a single vehicle containing two individuals left the roadway and crashed. The accident took place west of Swan Valley, Idaho, and occurred at roughly 11:06 p.m.

As the single vehicle, a white GMC Yukon, neared milepost 375, the 41-year-old female driver and her juvenile passenger failed to negotiate a steep curve and left the roadway. Their vehicle fell off the side of the road, and landed in a nearby body of water.

Both the driver and her passenger were transported to a local hospital to have their injuries checked and treated. At the time of the accident, neither individual was wearing a seat belt.

 
Two vehicles, a Jeep and a snowplow, collided on US 26 in Palisades, Idaho on December 14^th at 2:16 p.m.

At the time of the accident, the 2018 Jeep Renegade was traveling westbound on US 26 when he veered left crossing the center line. He collided head on with the oncoming snowplow, a 2020 Freight 114SD.

The driver of the Jeep, a 66-year-old man from Shelly, Idaho, sustained major injuries and passed at the scene. His 67-year-old female passenger sustained substantial injuries and was transported to a local hospital via ground ambulance. No report is given on the condition of the driver of the snowplow, a 48-year-old man from Swan Valley, Idaho. All three individuals were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.

On December 14^th, a semi got into a collision on I 15 at roughly 10:38 a.m. The semi, a 2024 Freightliner, was traveling southbound near milepost 118 when the accident occurred. As he was driving, the 36-year-old male driver from Calgary, Alberta lost control of his vehicle and collided with the side guard rail.

At the time of the accident, he was wearing a seatbelt, and reports do not include any information about his injuries.

We hope he is well and is able to make a full recovery.

On Thursday, December 12^th, multiple vehicles on US 91 near the intersection of Legacy drive were involved in an elaborate collision. Many of the individuals were left injured and one person was fatally wounded.

At roughly 1:25 p.m, the first vehicle, a 2006 Mazda Tribute, was traveling northbound on US 91. The driver of this vehicle was a 77-year-old man from Logan, Utah. As he was traveling north, he passed the intersection of Legacy drive and stopped in the road, before reversing in the lane to get back to the intersection. A second vehicle, a 2021 Dodge Ram driven by a 32-year-old man from Franklin, Idaho, was traveling southbound with the intention of making a left turn onto legacy drive. He began to make his turn, but stopped between the two lanes in an attempt to avoid the reversing Mazda. Before he could move, a third vehicle, a 1999 Dodge Ram driven by a 20-year-old man from Franklin, came upon them traveling northbound. He tried to avoid the stopped vehicles and swerved into the southbound lanes and struck the 2021 Dodge, before continuing on to strike another fourth vehicle also traveling southbound. This vehicle was a 2018 Jeep Renegade, and it was driven by a 23-year-old woman from Preston Idaho. As she was traveling southbound, the 1999 Dodge swerved into her lane and they collided head on.

The drivers of the Mazda and the 2021 Dodge were both wearing seatbelts and they only sustained minor injuries. The driver of the 1999 Dodge was not wearing a seatbelt, but also only sustained minor injuries. The 23-year-old driver of the Jeep was wearing a seatbelt, but she sustained major injuries and passed at the scene.

Idaho State Police are continuing their investigation of a crash involving a single vehicle that occurred on December 11^th, 2024. The crash took place on Upper River Road near block 1700.

The single vehicle involved was a silver 2012 Kia Sorento driven by an 18-year-old man from Sandpoint, Idaho. As he was traveling westbound, at roughly 2:54 a.m, when he lost control of the vehicle and crossed over to the eastbound side of the road, before exiting the roadway and striking a tree. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and was taken to a local hospital by ground ambulance for his injuries.

We hope he is able to make a full and speedy recovery.

In Cassia County, Idaho two vehicles got into an accident on December 7^th, 2024, just outside of Delco. The vehicles were traveling westbound on I 86 at mile post 12 at the time of the accident.

At roughly 2:17 p.m, a 43-year-old woman from Englewood, Colorado driving a red 2003 Subaru Legacy, was traveling westbound when she collided with another car. The other vehicle, a 2018 Buick Enclave, was also traveling westbound driven by a juvenile from Boise, Idaho. When the vehicles collided, they were both sent off the roadway, before rolling and landing in a ditch.

The driver of the legacy sustained major injuries and passed at the scene. She was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. The driver of the Buick was wearing a seat belt and sustained no major injuries. His injuries were treated on the scene and he was not taken to a hospital.

Two vehicles collided head on just outside of Fort Hall, Idaho on Friday December 6^th. The crash occurred at mile post 83.5 around 10:56 p.m.

Two individuals, a 49-year-old man from Blackfoot, Idaho, and his passenger, a 45-year-old woman from Grace, Idaho, were travelling northbound on I 15 when another vehicle crossed the center line and collided with them. They were in a 2024 Nissan Sendra when another driver, traveling southbound on the northbound side of the road, hit them. The other driver, a 63-year-old from Pocatello, Idaho, was driving a 2007 Honda CR-V at the time of the accident.

Both the driver of the Nissan and the driver of the Honda succumbed to their injuries and passed at the scene. The passenger of the Nissan was transported to a local hospital by air ambulance to have her injuries treated.

Authorities are continuing their investigation of a crash that occurred on December 6^th in Kootenai County, Idaho. The crash took place on State Highway 54 at the intersection of Clagstone Road, at approximately 3:40 p.m.

The first vehicle involved was a 2005 International School Bus containing the driver and 31 students. The bus belongs to Lakeland Joint School District 272, and was taking children from Athol Elementary. The driver of the bus was a 38-year-old woman from Spirit Lake Idaho. She was driving the students southbound on Clagstone Road when she came to the intersection and failed to yield to the oncoming second vehicle, a 2003 Honda Civic driven by a 47-year-old man, also from Spirit Lake, Idaho. The bus collided with the Honda in the intersection, and both vehicles slid onto the south side of Highway 54. In the accident, the bus also struck an electric power pole near the road.

The driver of the Honda was not wearing a seatbelt, and was transported to a local hospital to receive care for his injuries. The driver of the bus was not injured, and the worst injury the children reported was a cut lip. All the children were checked for injuries at the scene before being loaded onto another bus and being taken to Real Life Ministries. Parents came to pick them up there.