Child and driver injured in semi-rollover

Rescue workers successfully extricate a five-year-old child who had been trapped in the cab of the truck following the accident.

The driver of a semi and his five-year-old son were injured after their truck rolled onto its side at the intersection of Highway 30 and Frontage Road west of Mountain Home around 10:45 a.m. Dec. 24.

According to an initial report by Deputy Dave Kellerman from the Elmore County Sheriff's Office, Richard Thorpe tried to make a left-hand turn onto Frontage Road when he lost control of his truck.

The tanker trailer, enroute to Wendell, was hauling a full load of animal fat for use as cattle feed.

According to Kellerman, the truck's weight possibly shifted during the turn, causing the truck to roll off the road's south shoulder and flip onto its right ride.

Thorpe was able to climb out of the truck following the crash, according to the deputy. However, his son remain trapped in the truck with his arm lodged between the passenger side door and the ground and his leg trapped between his seat and dashboard, said Alan Roberts from the Mountain Home extrication team.

It took the rescue team approximately 15 minutes to free the child. The extraction team used a crane a stabilize the truck and lift it far enough to free the boy's arm.

Thorpe was taken by ambulance to Elmore County Medical Center while his son was flown by Life Flight to St. Alphonsus Medical Center. As he was being transported to the air ambulance he was seen to be able to move both arms.

The truck, assigned to the Willtran company based in Boise, was enroute to Wendell at the time of the accident. Initial reports did not mention why Thorpe stopped in Mountain Home.

A Willtran representative at the scene added that company policy prohibits drivers from allowing children to ride in their vehicles.