Woman, toddler killed after car overturns into canal near Shelley
Curtis Jackson
SHELLEY, Idaho (KIFI)— A two-car crash near Shelley on Sunday afternoon claimed the lives of a 35-year-old woman and a 2-year-old girl after their vehicle overturned into a canal and became fully submerged.
According to the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened around 1:41 p.m. on October 5 near the intersection of 1100 E. and 1300 N.
When a Shelley Police officer arrived, several citizens were already in the canal, trying to reach the submerged 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Working alongside first responders, the group managed to turn the vehicle onto its side and pull out four occupants.
The Sheriff’s office said the woman and a toddler were unconscious and not breathing when they were pulled out. CPR was immediately started, and both were rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where they later died from their injuries. The other two passengers, a 43-year-old man and an 11-year-old boy, were also taken to EIRMC with non-life-threatening injuries.
The other vehicle involved, a 2022 Hyundai Palisade, carried a 27-year-old man and two young boys, ages 6 and 4. The driver was hospitalized with minor injuries; the children appeared unharmed.
Investigators shut down the intersection for about three hours to conduct a crash reconstruction. The Sheriff’s office said the Sonata was traveling south on 1100 E. and failed to yield at a two-way stop, pulling into the path of the eastbound Palisade. The impact sent the Sonata into the canal and the Palisade into a power pole.
Seat belt use was inconsistent. The 2-year-old in the Sonata was properly restrained in a car seat, but the other three occupants were not wearing seat belts. In the Palisade, the children were buckled in, but the driver was not.
The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office expressed deep gratitude to the citizens who jumped into action and to all responding agencies. “Our hearts go out to the families affected and all that were involved,” the department said. “Please, buckle up every time you ride in a vehicle—it can save lives.”
The investigation is ongoing, and no names have been released.