Semi driver killed after road gives way and truck rolls down 120-foot embankment in northern Idaho
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FLOODWOOD STATE FOREST — Idaho State Police are investigating a fatal crash that occurred early Monday morning on Forest Service Road 384 east of Trapper Peak in northern Idaho.
According to investigators, a 1984 Western Star semi-tractor driven by a 43-year-old man from Oakesdale, Washington, was traveling eastbound around 2 a.m. when the crash occurred.
About 1.5 miles east of Trapper Peak, the truck traveled along the road’s edge, which gave way under the vehicle’s weight.
The semi slid off the roadway, rolled down a steep embankment, and came to rest against trees about 120 feet below.
The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died before first responders arrived. His name has not been released, but next of kin have been notified.
Emergency crews worked for about four and a half hours to recover the vehicle and clear the crash site. The roadway was reopened to traffic later in the afternoon.
Assisting agencies included the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office, Benewah County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho State Communications, and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
The crash remains under investigation.