A 66-year-old woman lost her life Sunday after a chain-reaction collision involving four vehicles unfolded on U.S. Highway 95 near Sandpoint, Idaho, with the crash traced back to a passing maneuver that sent a truck crossing into oncoming traffic.
The incident took place shortly after 11 o’clock in the morning — at approximately 11:21 a.m. — close to milepost 483.3 along the busy north-south corridor. Idaho State Police responded to the scene and reconstructed how events escalated into a fatal wreck.
Investigators determined the sequence began when a 40-year-old Ponderay man steered his Honda Fit to the roadside while heading north. A 26-year-old Sandpoint man behind the wheel of a Toyota Tacoma moved to pass the stopped or slowing Honda, and the two vehicles came into contact during that maneuver. The collision deflected the Tacoma into the southbound lanes, where it struck a GMC Sierra head-on. That Sierra was being driven by the 66-year-old woman, who suffered fatal injuries. Moments later, a 52-year-old woman traveling south in a Subaru Forester struck the rear of the Sierra, bringing the total number of vehicles involved to four.
The 66-year-old woman did not survive. No further details about injuries to the other drivers were made immediately available. Idaho State Police are leading the ongoing investigation, and no information regarding potential charges or citations had been publicly released as of this report.
Authorities withheld the names of those involved pending notification of family members. Anyone with knowledge of the crash is asked to reach out to the Idaho State Police.
Highway 95 through Bonner County remains one of the most heavily traveled routes in North Idaho, connecting the Sandpoint and Ponderay areas to communities throughout the Panhandle. Motorists are urged to exercise caution, particularly when passing, as the corridor’s mix of traffic speeds and limited sight lines can make overtaking maneuvers especially hazardous.