Crash and initial response
CASCADE, ID — Idaho State Police say a green Dodge Ram pickup crossed into the wrong lane on State Highway 55 on Sunday afternoon, hit another vehicle and then went into the North Fork Payette River near milepost 93.5 north of Cascade. Witnesses reported seeing at least one person leave the truck and be carried downstream.
The crash triggered a multiagency response involving swift-water rescue teams, law enforcement, fire crews and emergency medical personnel. Troopers said the heavy traffic period and fast river conditions made the scene difficult to access.
Occupants and injuries
State police said the other vehicle carried three adults who had minor injuries and were treated and released at the scene. Investigators initially said they had not confirmed how many people were in the pickup or who they were.
Officials also said additional witness information suggested there may have been more than one person inside the truck. The search focused on both identifying everyone involved and determining whether anyone was still missing.
Recovery operation Monday
By Monday morning, river levels had dropped enough for responders to reach the submerged truck. Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit personnel, with help from the Cascade Raft and Kayak company, removed the pickup from the water.
Idaho State Police temporarily closed State Highway 55 near milepost 93.5 during the recovery work. Traffic backed up for about three miles before the road reopened.
Driver identified
State police identified the driver as a 40-year-old man from Billings, Montana. His family was notified of the crash, but officials said he has not been located.
The pickup was found unoccupied when it was recovered from the river. Troopers said the crash remains under investigation.
What investigators need
Idaho State Police asked anyone who saw the crash or has information about it to call ISP Dispatch at 208-846-7500. They also asked people who were traveling through the area and cannot reach family members or loved ones to contact investigators.
Troopers said the case remains centered on figuring out exactly what happened in the moments before the truck entered the river. They have not released any further details about the driver or the circumstances of the crash.
SpeedReadNews tracks Montana and the surrounding frontier, fast and factual.
