Friday, August 14, 2020

ISP: Update on missing man found after fatal crash

IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer
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Idaho State Police
District 5 5255 S. 5th Avenue, Suite 1
Pocatello, Idaho 83204
(208) 239-9800 FAX: (208) 239-9885

For Immediate Release: 8/14/2020 at 2:00 p.m.
Please direct questions to the District Office


On August 1, 2020, at approximately 9:56 p.m., the Idaho State Police were dispatched to a vehicle crash on U.S.20 near milepost 311, North of Idaho Falls. When Troopers arrived minutes later, they found a 2012 Chevy Impala on its top near the right-way fence by a canal. The driver was not located.

ISP Troopers were joined by members of the Idaho Falls Fire Department and Bonneville County Sheriff's Office in searching for the driver. Rescuers searched the canal and surrounding fields using a thermal imager and a grid search. The fire department's aerial boom ladder with flood lights assisted rescuers in further checking the canal and the surrounding fields. Those efforts failed to locate the missing driver.

Continuing the effort to locate the driver, an ISP Trooper later went to Rigby to the residence of the vehicle owner. The Trooper returned a second time. Each time, no one appeared to be at the home.

The Rigby Police Department was notified of the incident and on August 6th the vehicle owner was entered as a missing person.

On August 11th, in the early morning hours, Troopers went back to the crash scene. Again, the Idaho Falls Fire Department assisted in searching the canal. Later in the morning, ISP Detectives joined patrol Troopers and used four wheelers and a drone to again search the area including the canal. Still, the missing driver was not located.

On August 12th, in cooperation with the missing man's family, a team with Bonneville County Search and Rescue was deployed. Thanks to their dedication and hours of searching, a body matching the description of the driver was located in the canal approximately one mile downstream from the crash scene. The body was found in a section of the canal with swift moving water and the individual was hidden in the thick brush and Cottonwood trees. The Bonneville County Coroner was contacted and the body was removed by Coroner's office personnel.

The Idaho State Police share our sincere condolences with the involved family. We're grateful to the work and expertise of the Bonneville County Search and Rescue team and to the Idaho Falls Fire Department and the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office for help in this incident.

As always, in cases with a profound impact on a family or a community, investigators will thoroughly review each step taken to see what lessons may be learned and applied in the future. We live in a community where first responders work closely together with great care for the welfare of those we serve.

ISP supervisors from the Idaho State Police District 6 office in Idaho Falls met with the involved family prior to this public release.

This incident and crash remain under investigation.