Accident blocks U.S. 95 for 3 hours

BONNERS FERRY — A two-vehicle accident on U.S. 95, by Deer Park Road, blocked traffic for several hours on Tuesday evening, Oct. 1, resulting in one woman being transported by Life Flight.

According to a press release from Idaho State Police, a white 2011 Ford F250 pickup driven by Dexter Jantz, 19, of Bonners Ferry, was southbound on the highway and turned left of center to avoid a vehicle. His vehicle went into a broad slide and ran into northbound traffic, colliding with a blue 2016 Honda HRV driven by Claudia Kamp, 58, of Cranbrook, British Columbia.

Hall Mountain Fire responded to the scene with mutual aid from North Bench Fire. Hall Mountain Fire landed Life Flight in a nearby field and North Bench Fire performed the extrication to remove Kamp from her vehicle. She was then transported to Kootenai Health via Life Flight, with non-life threatening injuries.

ISP reported that Jantz and his juvenile passenger were not wearing seatbelts, but were uninjured.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, working together to care for accident victims and clear the scene to get traffic flowing again, which took approximately three hours.

“It was a good effort by all,” said Hall Mountain Fire Chief, Brad Lowther.

ISP stated that weather did not appear to be a factor in the accident and that the investigation is ongoing.