EDEN, Idaho — Three people were taken to area hospitals after a chain-reaction series of wrecks that brought traffic to a standstill on Interstate 84 east of Twin Falls.
The first crash happened at 8:08 a.m. Wednesday near the small town of Eden.
According to Idaho State Police, 26-year-old Katelyn Hamby of Burley was driving east in a Dodge 2500 pickup pulling a horse trailer when a semi truck pulling a tanker near her made an improper lane change.
Hamby swerved left to avoid colliding with that tanker, police say, veering into the median. Her pickup truck rolled, landing across the westbound lanes and completely blocking them. The horse trailer came unhitched as the pickup rolled, and ended up lying in the median.
An ISP trooper says no animals were involved in the crash and that the trailer was only hauling dirt.
The wreck forced all westbound traffic to a halt.
Police say a semi-truck driven by 41-year-old John Goshorn of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania was at a complete stop when his truck was struck from behind by another semi - this one driven by 54-year-old Januz Rexhepi of Nampa and pulling triple trailers.
The force of that impact then pushed Goshorn's semi into a third semi driven by 52-year-old Michael Hymer of Tooele, Utah.
Hamby and her passenger, 45-year-old Rigoberto Alvarado of Moses Lake, Washington, were taken by ambulance to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls. Neither was wearing a seatbelt when the pickup rolled, police say, but a small child in the pickup was strapped into a child seat.
Rexhepi was airlifted to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. He was listed in critical condition Wednesday afternoon.
Rexhepi and every other driver and passenger involved in the crashes were wearing seatbelts, according to ISP. No one else was injured.
At least one of the semi-trailers split open in the median. Debris and pieces of metal are scattered across the roadway.
Westbound I-84 remains completely blocked. Traffic is being diverted off the interstate at Exit 188.
It's unclear how long the road will be blocked. The eastbound lanes of I-84 remain open, but drivers should keep an eye out for emergency responders working in the area.
The driver of the tanker semi that caused the first wreck did not stop. Anyone with information about that truck or its driver is asked to contact Idaho State Police.
Check back for updates.
