Rigby woman hospitalized after vehicle catches fire on I-15
UPDATE 7:30 p.m. 49-year-old Sandra Smith of Rigby was hospitalized after a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 15 at milepost 86 north of Fort Hall.
Idaho State Police reports Smith was southbound on I-15 in a 2005 Subaru Legacy and Kristin Derouen, 19, of Pocatello, was behind the Subaru in a 2002 Nissan Sentra.
At approximately 4:00 p.m., a commercial vehicle had struck an overpass in the area, causing debris to fall in the roadway.
Multiple vehicles were stopped with flat tires, which was causing traffic to slow down.
The Subaru was slowing down when the Nissan struck it from behind.
The Subaru came to rest in the median, and the Nissan came to rest partially blocking the southbound left lane.
Both drivers were wearing seatbelts.
A ground ambulance transported Smith to Portneuf Regional Medical Center.
The Nissan caught fire, which started a grass fire in the median. The northbound lanes were blocked due to visibility issues caused by the smoke.
The southbound left lane was blocked for approximately one hour and twenty minutes. Both northbound lanes were blocked for approximately fifteen minutes, and the right lane was blocked for an additional twenty-five minutes.
The crash is under investigation by Idaho State Police.
ORIGINAL:
A vehicle caught fire and burned 100 yards of brush in the median after a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 15 near mile marker 85 near Fort Hall Tuesday around 4:30 p.m.
Idaho State Police report an officer stopped to help push the vehicle off the road after the fender bender, and the vehicle then caught fire.
Officials say no injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
