Saturday, August 1, 2015

Two-vehicle, injury crash on SH-52 in Gem County

IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer
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IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE
District 3 Patrol 700 S. Stratford Dr., Meridian 83642
(208) 846-7550
Fax (208) 846-7520

For Immediate Release: 8/1/2015 10:16 p.m.
Please direct questions to the District Office

On Saturday, August 1, 2015, at approximately 2:33 p.m., the Idaho State Police investigated a two-vehicle, injury crash northbound on SH-52 at milepost 43, 13 miles north of Emmett.

Ronald Morgenthaler, 66, of Weiser, was northbound on SH-52 in a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado with two pallets of salt blocks on the flatbed. Both pallets of salt blocks were covered with shrink wrap and were tied down. Jaeson Atwood, 25, of Nampa, was southbound on SH-52 in a 1998 Dodge Ram pickup. As Morgenthaler was negotiating a curve at milepost 43, the shrink wrap on one of the pallets became loose, causing multiple salt blocks to fall off the pickup. Atwood was negotiating that curve at the same time. One of the salt blocks went through the passenger side of the windshield on the Dodge Ram. The salt block struck the front seat passenger, Donald Moala, 26, of Nampa, in the left shoulder, and continued through the truck, striking a 5-year-old child in the backseat in the head, before going out the back window.

All occupants involved were wearing their seatbelts. Both Moala and the juvenile passenger were transported to Valor Health in Emmett by ground ambulance. The juvenile was later transported to the St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise by air ambulance. The road was blocked for approximately 2.5 hours while crews worked to clear the scene.

The crash is under investigation by the Idaho State Police.


KB / SG
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