7 drivers, 5 juvenile passengers, and 1 dog involved in 3 accidents
By Eric Valentine
Deputies from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple-injury collisions over the past week, including one involving a loose dog that was hit and killed, and all of them causing traffic delays for frustrated Valley drivers.
Chances are, if you were in the south Valley, you were impacted. Here’s a rundown of each incident.
Loose Dog
On Thursday, April 18, at approximately 12:23 p.m., a two-vehicle collision occurred on Highway 75 near Countryside Boulevard, south of Hailey.
Natalie Wilson, 28, of Hailey, reported that while traveling southbound in a 1994 green Chevrolet truck, she saw a brown “terrier-looking” dog run out in front of her truck. Wilson stopped abruptly to avoid the dog and was struck from the rear by a 2009 white Chevrolet truck driven by Andres Escarcega-Rogue, 43, also of Hailey.
Rogue reported that he saw the dog run out in front of the vehicle in front of him and also braked, but was unable to stop in time to avoid the collision. Rogue was transported by ground ambulance to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.
Blinking Light
Another collision occurred on Saturday, April 20, at approximately 1:19 p.m. involving Mitchell W. Brooks, 17, of Filer, who was traveling south on Highway 75 with a single passenger in a 2004 grey Mazda MX3 when a 2017 orange Mitsubishi Mirage, driven by Mark D. Ferrante, 62, of Arco, heading west on Highway 20, failed to stop at the stop sign on the northeast corner of the intersection and collided with Brooks.
Ferrante’s vehicle rolled at least once, landing on its roof in the barrow pit on the right shoulder of the eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 20. All occupants were wearing seatbelts. Ferrante was treated at the scene for minor injuries by Wood River Fire and Rescue. Both vehicles sustained significant damage and were towed from the scene. Ferrante was cited for Failure to Obey Traffic Control Devices.
Three-Car Carey Collision
On Thursday, April 18, at 4:54 p.m., Idaho State Police investigated a three-vehicle injury crash on northbound US 20-26-93 at milepost 207, near Carey, in Blaine County.
Ashley C. Powell, 30, of Moore, was driving northbound in a 2000 Ford Excursion. Aaron R. Andrews, 48, of Carey, was driving northbound in a 1995 Ford F-250. Cory L. Gunn, 33, of El Cajon, Calif., was driving northbound in a 2019 Nissan Rogue.
Powell collided with Andrews, causing Andrews’ vehicle to spin around. Andrews then collided with Gunn before crashing into a power pole. Powell and her two juvenile passengers were wearing seatbelts. Andrews and his juvenile passenger were not wearing seatbelts. Gunn, her passenger, Jason K. Gunn, 40, also of El Cajon, and two juvenile passengers, were wearing seatbelts.
Powell, her two juvenile passengers, Andrews and his juvenile passenger and Jason Gunn were transported by ground ambulance to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center in Ketchum. Gunn and her two juvenile passengers were transported by air ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.
The lanes of traffic were blocked for three hours.
