Two Bellevue women were treated and released at St. Luke's Wood River following separate traffic accidents last week on state Highway 75 south of Bellevue.
The first accident occurred Wednesday, Feb. 29, shortly before 5:30 p.m. at the highway's intersection with Glendale Road. Blaine County Sheriff's Capt. Jay Davis said Sindy Burke, 58, driving a white 2009 Dodge Ram 2500, was southbound and waiting to turn left onto East Glendale Road when her vehicle was struck by a southbound white 1999 Federal Express delivery truck driven by Chad Smith, 31, of Twin Falls.
Burke was transported to St. Luke's by Wood River Fire & Rescue ambulance. The accident report did not state whether either driver was wearing a seatbelt.
Davis said no citations were issued.
"He basically says that he did not recognize that she was turning because a tarp was covering her signal light," Davis said.
The accident occurred after heavy snowfall in the area earlier that day, but Davis said skid marks mentioned in the investigation report indicate that the roadway was not slick.
The second accident occurred Thursday, March 1, shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Highway 75 about a mile south of Timmerman Hill. Davis said Dulce Torres, 19, was northbound in a green 1998 Dodge Neon when she lost control of the vehicle.
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"She fell asleep, running off the road and hitting the dirt hillside," Davis said.
Torres was taken to St. Luke's by Wood River Fire & Rescue ambulance.
"She was not wearing a seatbelt, but her airbag did deploy," Davis said.
He said Torres was issued a citation alleging operation of a vehicle without insurance.
Tony Randall
Bellevue resident Tony Randall, the band teacher at Wood River High School and Wood River Middle School, remained in serious condition Tuesday afternoon at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
Randall was transported by emergency aircraft to Saint Alphonsus with leg and head injuries following a nine-vehicle traffic accident on Feb. 25 on state Highway 75 south of Bellevue.
The Blaine County Sheriff's Office reported Monday that the investigation remains officially ongoing because officers have not yet been able to talk to Randall.
However, Davis said investigators have found nothing to change the initial finding that the accident was caused by near-zero visibility because of a ground blizzard in the area that day.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
