Idaho State Journal photo
Gary Frongner, 63, of Shelley, who was injured in a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 15 near Fort Hall on Saturday afternoon, arrives at Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello after being transported via emergency helicopter.
By Journal Staff
The Fourth of July holiday weekend was just beginning early Saturday afternoon when multiple wrecks occurred on Interstate 15 in the Pocatello area in just over a 30-minute span.
The three crashes happened between 12:26 p.m. and 1 p.m., and one of them resulted in a seriously injured motorist being airlifted to the hospital.
That wreck involved one-vehicle just north of the Fort Hall exit. The other two crashes involved multiple vehicles in the interstate’s northbound lanes in south Pocatello, but there were no injuries with those wrecks.
The crashes highlight the dangers of interstate highway travel during the July 4 holiday weekend that state police warned about earlier in the week.
Authorities have not yet said what caused any of Saturday afternoon’s Interstate 15 wrecks.
The crash near the Fort Hall exit happened about 12:26 p.m. and involved a pickup that overturned, according to a news release from Idaho State Police.
The accident happened when Gary Frongner, 63, of Shelley, was traveling south in a 2002 Chevy Avalanche. He lost control, went off the left shoulder, and rolled. The vehicle came to rest on its side in the northbound lanes.
Frongner, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported by air ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello. A condition report was not immediately available.
Traffic was restricted while the scene was cleared and the helicopter landed and took off. The travel lanes were blocked for about one hour, according to state police.
Authorities have not said whether anyone else was hurt in the crash.
State police said the first crash in south Pocatello involved two vehicles and occurred around 12:30 p.m. The second south Pocatello crash involved three vehicles and occurred about 1 p.m.
Both crashes resulted in temporary delays on the interstate while emergency units responded.
Emergency units also responded to multiple wrecks in Chubbuck on Saturday, but authorities said none of those accidents resulted in anyone being transported to the hospital.