A 31-year-old Pocatello man lost his life Wednesday afternoon after a collision on Interstate 15 in Oneida County left him ejected from his vehicle, authorities reported.
The crash took place around 3:50 p.m. near mile marker 20, north of Malad, when a northbound GMC Savana van drifted onto the shoulder and struck a disabled, unoccupied Ford Mustang that was already stopped there. The force of the impact sent the van into the median where it came to rest.
Driver Ejected, Not Wearing Seatbelt
The driver — the sole occupant of the van — was ejected during the collision. Investigators noted he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Emergency responders transported him first by ground ambulance and then by air ambulance to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The crash closed the northbound left lane on I-15 for approximately three hours as emergency crews worked the scene.
A Reminder of Highway Safety
Seatbelt use remains one of the most consistently documented factors in crash survivability. Idaho law requires all front-seat occupants to wear seatbelts, and traffic safety officials across the state have long emphasized that ejection from a vehicle during a collision dramatically increases the likelihood of a fatal outcome.
This latest fatality adds to a string of deadly incidents involving Pocatello-area residents on Idaho’s major highways. Earlier this year, a 25-year-old Pocatello man was killed after running across I-15 in Idaho Falls, underscoring the continued dangers facing residents along the state’s busiest corridors.
The name of the victim has not been released pending family notification. The crash remains under investigation by Idaho State Police.
What Comes Next
Idaho State Police are expected to release a full incident report once the investigation is complete and next of kin have been formally notified. Drivers traveling I-15 through Oneida County are reminded to maintain lane discipline, watch for disabled vehicles on shoulders, and always wear seatbelts — particularly on rural stretches of highway where emergency response times can be longer and traffic speeds remain high. Additional details may be released as investigators determine the cause of the van leaving the travel lane.