The Boise County coroner is calling it a freak accident after a man got caught in a rotary snow plow and died Tuesday morning.
Byran Bidegain, 62, was an employee at the Idaho Transportation Department and was working along Highway 21 when the accident happened.
According to ITD, rotary snow plows are typically used in mountainous areas to clear snow banks, avalanches and snow pile-up on the sides of the roads.
Bidegain's body and the machine were found at the Mores Creek Summit Park 'n Ski lot just before 10 a.m.
While details of the accident are still under investigation, Mike Johnson, Chief Deputy Coroner for Boise County, says the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
According to Johnson, Bidegain was seen by snowmobilers trying to unclog one of the snow rotors.
The machine was still running and Johnson says Bidegain likely got caught on one of the blades and was pulled in.
“There were some snowmobilers up there that watched him try to work on it and they got on their snowmobiles and trailer and noticed he wasn’t there but the machine was running, they went over immediately and he was already dead,” said Johnson.
In a statement from the ITD, Bidegain was described as a dedicated employee and a friend and colleague within the ITD family.
He had been with the department for the past five years.
The department is asking the public to respect Bidegain's family and co-workers during this difficult time.