Fiery crash closes I-84

Fire crews work to put out a truck fire on Interstate 84 last week.

Interstate 84 westbound was closed for several hours due to a multiple vehicle collision at mile marker 85 on Tuesday, April 10.

A few minutes prior to 8 p.m. Idaho State Police, Elmore County Deputies and Paramedics and the Mountain Home Fire Department responded to an Elmore County crash involving three tractor-trailers and one passenger vehicle on Interstate 84 westbound at mile marker 85.

Daljit Sangha, 44, of Kent, Wash., had parked his Nissan Maxima on the side of I-84. Parked ahead of him were the tractor-trailers of Hashin Sharif-Omar, 26, of Columbus, Ohio, and John Joseph, 32, of Houston, Texas.

All three vehicles were pulled over due to an unrelated incident involving a minor collision involving two of the vehicles that had occurred about five miles back on the interstate.

Joseph remained in his tractor-trailer while Sharif-Omar exited to speak with Sangha about the incident.

As Sharif-Omar went to speak to Sangha another tractor-trailer driven by Brian Anderson, 48, of Everett, Wash., went off the road for reasons unknown at this time.

Sangha was standing at the rear bumper of his Nissan Maxima when Anderson's tractor-trailer struck the driver's side mirror of his car.

Anderson's tractor-trailer then struck Sharif-Omar's tractor-trailer ripping Anderson's fuel tank open and catching the tractor-trailer on fire. Then Anderson's tractor-trailer hit Joseph's tractor-trailer, pushing the flat bed off the right side of the interstate into the grass.

Anderson's tractor-trailer came to rest in a blaze in the median of the interstate.

Anderson was transported by air ambulance to St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise, where he was treated for burns to his hands and feet. No one else was harmed in the accident.

Alcohol was not believed to have been a factor in the crash.

Due to the debris of guacamole and paper in the trucks, and the damaged tractor-trailers, I84 westbound was blocked for several hours, backing up traffic.

The investigation is ongoing. No charges had been filed by press time.