Coroners across multiple counties in East Idaho and the surrounding region have identified seven of eight individuals who died in a string of separate, unrelated incidents over roughly the past two weeks. The deaths span a wrong-way interstate chase, a mobile home fire, a runaway commercial truck on Teton Pass, a highway collision in Mackay, and a UTV crash at a popular recreation site.
I-15 Wrong-Way Pursuit Leaves Shelley Man and Pocatello Woman Dead
A late-night pursuit on Saturday, July 11, ended with two fatalities after a wanted felon fled deputies and drove the wrong direction on a major interstate. Justin D. Kindred, 38, of Shelley, was behind the wheel when a Bingham County deputy initiated pursuit on 1250 North west of Shelley. Kindred turned onto I-15 northbound, traveling in the southbound lanes without headlights. After deputies performed a PIT maneuver, Kindred was ejected and died at the scene. Bingham County Coroner Jimmy Roberts made the identification.
Ashlee Kollars, 32, of Pocatello, was a passenger in Kindred’s vehicle. She was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where she later died. The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office identified Kollars, noting blunt force injuries as the preliminary cause of death.
McCammon Fire Victim Dies Ten Days After Rescue
Lance Talbot, 58, of McCammon, succumbed to his injuries on July 12 — more than a week after he was pulled from a burning mobile home near the intersection of Highway 91 and Dixon Road on Thursday, July 2. Bannock County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Jons and a neighbor carried out the rescue before Talbot was airlifted to EIRMC. Bonneville County Coroner Shantee Sanchez identified Talbot, with preliminary findings indicating his death resulted from fire-related injuries compounded by preexisting medical conditions.
What triggered the blaze has not been determined. The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office are both conducting an active investigation into the fire’s origin.
Teton Pass Brake Failure Kills Two; Second Crash Kills Two More in Mackay
On Tuesday, July 7, a dump truck loaded with asphalt descended Teton Pass on Wyoming Highway 22 near Wilson — at the Idaho-Wyoming border — after its brakes failed. The out-of-control truck struck a motorcycle and additional vehicles before overturning. Nicholas Czernichew Besobrasow, 66, of Tetonia, Idaho, and David Thompson Page, 57, who had addresses in both Mammoth Lakes, California, and Jackson, Wyoming, were killed in the collision. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue identified both men. Four other individuals were taken to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson sustaining minor to moderate injuries. Highway 22 remained shut down in both directions through early the following morning, with preliminary findings pointing to brake failure as the chief contributing factor.
Six days later, on Monday, July 13, two people were killed in a separate crash in Mackay on U.S. Highway 93. Tony Luna, 61, of Arco, attempted to enter the highway from North 4100 West and did not yield to a southbound 2022 Allegro motorhome traveling toward him. Luna and his 58-year-old female passenger, also from Arco, both died at the scene. All individuals involved were wearing seat belts. The motorhome’s driver, a 73-year-old from Oak View, California, was not hurt. Custer County Coroner Chad Workman identified Luna; the passenger’s identity had not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. The highway reopened around 7 p.m. that evening.
UTV Crash Claims Montana Man at St. Anthony Sand Dunes
Mark Francis, 66, of Hardin, Montana, died on Friday, July 10, after a UTV crash at the St. Anthony Sand Dunes in Fremont County. Emergency responders were called to the scene around 2:20 p.m. and arrived to find bystanders already performing CPR on Francis. Despite continued lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye identified Francis and listed blunt force trauma as the cause of death. In the aftermath, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office called on visitors to exercise greater care while using the dunes.
What Comes Next
Multiple investigations tied to these incidents remain open. The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office are still working to establish what started the McCammon mobile home fire that ultimately claimed Talbot’s life. On Teton Pass, officials continue to examine the dump truck crash in detail, with brake failure as the leading hypothesis but a full determination still pending. In the Mackay crash, authorities had not yet publicly released the identity of Luna’s passenger as of the time of reporting. Families, travelers, and outdoor recreation visitors across Southeast Idaho and the surrounding area are urged to remain alert — particularly as summer continues to bring elevated traffic on highways and increased use of public recreation spaces throughout the region.