UPDATE - Driver dies in accident on I-84

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A 20-year-old Meridian woman died in a rear-end collision on I-84 at Exit 99 Tuesday at about noon. The accident occurred within minutes after authorities had closed the interstate at that point due to an unrelated incident at milepost 97.

Authorities had stopped a semi at milepost 97 Tuesday morning just before noon, and a routine check of the driver revealed an outstanding warrant for him by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. A subsequent search of the vehicle discovered a hand grenade in the vehicle. Authorities promptly closed the interstate westbound at milepost 99 and eastbound at exit 95.

Megan N. Bartley was driving her 1998 Nissan Altima westbound on Interstate 84 about four miles east of Mountain Home when she stopped for the roadblock that had been set up only minutes earlier. Conner B. Moody, 17, of Kimberly, was also westbound, driving a 2001 Hyundai, when he hit Bartley's vehicle from behind.

Bartley died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.

Moody was transported by ambulance to Elmore County Medical Center where he was treated and released.

The driver of the semi that was stopped between milepost 96 and 97, Ibragim Usurov, 24, of Vancouver, Wash., was booked into the Elmore County Jail.

A hazardous material team from Boise was called to the spot where the truck was stopped, as was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Mountain Home AFB, for further investigation of the truck's contents. The base EOD team later determined the grenade was an inert practice device that could not explode.

Traffic was rerouted for about two hours through Mountain Home between Exit 95 and Exit 99 during the combined set of incidents. The rerouting caused significant traffic jams and delays through town.

ISP troopers are continuing to investigate the incidents with possible charges pending.

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  • I heard a line of sirens for about 10 minutes!!

    -- Posted by yoB on Tue, Jul 21, 2009, at 1:41 PM
  • I am a good friend and manicurist of Megan's aunt in Montana and heard today about the tragedy that happen to her. What a senseless accident that took her life. I wish that our children who are behind the wheel of a vehicle would pay more attention to the road then things in their cars (stereo's, cell phone's, etc.). I don't know what this young man was doing that took his attention off the road, but it is ashame that a wonderful young lady lost her life. My prayers are with her family and loved ones in this time of mourning.

    -- Posted by Nail Lady on Wed, Jul 22, 2009, at 9:04 PM
  • Nail Lady, it takes a brave person to speak about your prayers being with someone and be so non-Christian like to bash a poor 17 year old kid who got in an accident. Not very Christian of you at all. An terrible tradegy indeed, but my prayers however, are for you, to try to see the real picture that this could have happend to anyone, the roads were closed without warning from what I understand, and it could have been you who is living with grief and pain that a 17 year old kid is presently going through, of taking someones life. My prayers tonight will be for you, and that you learn to be a better Christian.

    -- Posted by prayerguy on Thu, Jul 23, 2009, at 3:19 PM
  • For your information "prayerguy" I did not bash that young man. If you read clearly what I posted it is children in general behind the wheel of vehicles. Statistics show that majority of accidents of minors behind the wheel is due to them not watching the road, being pre-occupied while driving and causing accidents to themselves and others. So with that said, my question to you is, if Meagan realized that there was trouble up ahead and slowed down then why didn't he, hummm. This young man was in my prayers also. I feel sorry for him in that he will have to live with this terrible tragedy for the rest of his life, that in it's self is a terrible sentence, no child should have to live with this kind of anguish for the rest of their life. Yes, it could happen to anyone, but my point is that paying attention while behind the wheel of a vehicle would have prevented this accident. As for you BASHING my faith, is not very Christian of you! I just hope that you are as Christian as you portray to be and had Meagan's family in your prayers.

    -- Posted by Nail Lady on Thu, Jul 23, 2009, at 7:36 PM
  • I disagree that it could happen to anyone. It could only happen to idiot that wasn't paying any attention at all. He deserves every moment of anguish that he lives. My prayer is that he gets jail time.

    -- Posted by AtomicDog on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 12:48 AM
  • after being updated by the news and witnesses, everyone who was stopped due to the grenade threat all had to come to a sudden holt, slamming on their brakes, barely avoiding collision. Its amazing no one else was unlucky enough to have crashed. its ahame it had to happen to a child. So the facts show that everyone was slamming on their brakes franticly avoiding a crash, the next in line was a kid who wasnt lucky enough to brake in time. I personaly am not involved with any of this, just keeping up with they news and was shocked to see such cold hearted comments, obviously you all have a personal vendetta with the child involved, and you can continue to ridicule him all you want. Again, my prayers go out to everyone.

    -- Posted by prayerguy on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 1:48 PM
  • Prayerguy,

    You are an uninformed idiot. You have no "facts". The girl that got hit was stopped and this moron plowed into her. How does that happen genius? There was a sheriffs rig parked across the interstate in front of the line of traffic. So everyone was slamming on their brakes to avoid the sheriffs rig blocking the road? If there was slamming on the brakes it was long before the car sniper got there. Lucky my eye. Everyone else was able to stop in time because they were what we call in America, "driving". Now you may not be familiar with the concept as you seem to think that if something is in the road you just smash into it and claim not to have been, "lucky", but ya see while we are, "driving", we do things like, "pay attention", and "watch the road", and "slow down" when something doesn't look right and you're on a 2 mile stretch of flat road.. How is she completely stopped and this mental midget hits her going full speed. Did you see the car? The trunk was smashed all the way up to the drivers seat. How many cars were stopped in the slow lane that this idiot had to pass before he hit the girl stopped in the fast lane. Personal vendetta? No. But I do think that you have to take responsibility for being stupid. If that stupidity causes a death then I think that you have to go to jail. I pray that this kid gets all the justice and anguish that can be heaped on him. He gave no quarter and deserves none. You probably better use the power of prayer to help you shut your uninformed mouth.

    -- Posted by AtomicDog on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 2:51 PM
  • Well atomic dog... you do not seem to have the facts either, becuase as it turns out there were 4 to 5 cars who did swerve out of the way and almost got into accidents them selves, the girl was not at a complete delicate stop as you seem to be thinking, she herself had to slam on her breaks as well and unfortuatly she was not wearing a seat belt either, it was on the first accident report released... it is tragic and i feel for both familys. i myself had a family member killed in a car accident and never once did me or my family convict the man and say he deserved to rot in jail, it sounds to me like you are bitter and defensive...probably a member of the family that lost the girl, what yo fail to realize is this was an accident and they happen everyday. alot of people are mislead by the news mentioning things like cell phones and playing with cds. when it had nothing to do with this accident.. its hard not to be mad when you have lost someone, but your hate will fade and when it does i hope you realize what a complete miss-informed jerk you truley are.

    -- Posted by AND WHO ARE YOU? on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 3:12 PM
  • you're obviously a family member and new the girl quite well. I'm sorry for the grief you're going through. God has a plan for the girl, I'm sorry for your loss. If it makes you feel better about the situation to focus all the blame on a child, that being your way to grieve, then thats fine, Godbless, I'm sure whatever happens in the future will be whats right in the eyes of God, not you.

    -- Posted by prayerguy on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 3:13 PM
  • Oh so the kid didn't say that he was reaching for a water bottle one time and his cell phone the next. Oh ok. Don't know the family, never met them. How could I have, I live here. But hey keep making your assumptions and forgiving an idiot. He killed a person through his stupidity. He deserves to go to jail. It's our law that he goes to jail and I hope he does. Who else is there to blame you retard? He is to blame, end of story. What does not having a seat belt have to do with it? She wasn't thrown forward dummy. You mean the ignorant cop that saw it happen? Is that the ignorant cop you're talking about. The one that saw her sitting there talking on her cell phone. Stopped.

    -- Posted by AtomicDog on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 5:04 PM
  • What you fail to realize oh wise and pious one, is that it doesn't matter if it was cd's or a cell phone or picking his nose. He wasn't paying attention. Or are you trying to say that he was paying attention and just ran right into the back of her car? You can't say that I'm blaming a poor INNOCENT child, (17 a child?), and that he WAS paying attention and then not agree that he's an even bigger idiot. He's an idiot if he wasn't paying attention and an even bigger idiot if he was. He's an idiot either way. Because I'm calling it like it is, I "hate"? I have no hate what-so-ever for this little moron. But I will say that he is a moron and a moron that needs to "go" to jail. I didn't say rot. Sounds like if anyone knows any family members it's you apologists that know the idiots family. Who cares if other cars "almost" got into accidents. They didn't. He didn't, "almost", kill her and he didn't, "almost" devastate the family. You guys keep forgiving stupidity. Keep kids thinking that if they don't think that anything is ok because they were unlucky. Hey drunk driving? No problem you were just unlucky when you killed that person. Firing off your weapon where ever you want? Hey just unlucky that you killed that kid. Got that girl pregnant? Man are you unlucky that you weren't wearing protection. Didn't stop at that stop sign? Guess you were just unlucky that someone was in the crosswalk. Great values. The mighty and powerful god of unlucky will save you brothers and sisters.

    -- Posted by AtomicDog on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 7:07 PM
  • Why are Teenager Drivers at More Risk? According to Studies: Teenager drivers tend to underestimate hazardous driving situations and are less able than older drivers to recognize dangerous situations.

    Teenage Driver Facts:

    Deaths. Each Year over 5,000 teens ages 16 to 20 Die due to Fatal injuries caused Car accidents. About 400,000 drivers age 16 to 20 will be seriously injured.

    Risks. The risk of being involved in a car accident the highest for drivers aged 16- to 19-year-olds than it is for any other age group. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are about four times more likely than other drivers to crash.

    Stats. Teenagers are about 10 percent of the US Population but account for 12 percent all Fatal Car Crashes.

    Costs. Drivers (both male and female) under age 24 account for 30% - $26 billion Dollars of the total costs of Car accidents in the US.

    Male Versus Female. The car accident death rate for teen male drivers and passengers is more than one and a half times female teen driver (19.4 killed per 100,000 male drivers compared with 11.1 killed per 100,000 female drivers.

    New Drivers. The risk of a Crash risk is much higher during the first year teenagers are able to drive.

    -- Posted by Nail Lady on Fri, Jul 24, 2009, at 10:32 PM
  • well its obviously not my place to get involved. I dont know any of you or your friend who died or the kid your blaming. I have my own life to live, I'm dont arguing with you, its a waste of my time, and its not helping you cope with your loss, so forgive me for getting involved, I just figured a person with true morality would take both sides into concideration. But as you've proven, you have no morals. Enjoy the funeral. I'm done with you people, I'm gonna go enjoy my life and make sure i dont drive like a big dumb idiot or however you put it. I simply dont care she died, I dont care the kids going to jail. I'm gonna go eat some chicken.

    -- Posted by prayerguy on Sat, Jul 25, 2009, at 12:19 PM
  • I was one of the two bikes that got into the accident on July 18 at about 5 pm.The accident was caused by a mud flap hitting my buddy an causing him to loose control.The people who stopped showed me that there is still caring people here in Idaho.(Thanks)I think the biggest problem on that highway is people dont think of others when they are driving it.Having careing and understanding ways toward others could fix alot of this problem an who knows maybe save someones life.Thanks again to those who helped my friend and me.

    -- Posted by suzuki G on Sun, Jul 26, 2009, at 6:12 AM
  • Prayerguy,

    I don't have any loss to cope with. I didn't know her or her family. I refuse to let your moronic statements stand you arrogant christian. Thanks for proving that you're a typical christian. A pompous jerk when you think you can prove how holy you are by being a tender hearted and a humble purveyor of well wishes and prayer; and satans right hand when you are stuffed in your efforts to be self righteous and pious. I have no morals? "enjoy the funeral"? "I don't care that she died"? Yeah lets everyone go to church and learn the morals of these people that want an idiot that killed someone to go unpunished. You better look to your own motivations praytothedevilguy.

    -- Posted by AtomicDog on Sun, Jul 26, 2009, at 5:01 PM
  • Megan was wearing her seat belt, her father saw the bruises that it left when he identified the body. Would that make Megan responsible for what happened to her if she hadn't been wearing it? There was no warning when they shut down the highway, no notices were posted. The drivers traveling at highway speed did have to slam on their breaks, including Megan. The car in front of Megan wasn't sure that she wasn't going to slam into him. Megan was an extremely careful driver and was paying attention. She did stop in time and turned her wheels away from the car in front of her. When the 17 yr old boy that was not paying attention (by HIS account) slammed into her he was going the same speed that he had been driving at, there were no skid marks. Because she turned her wheels, her car did not crash into the car in front of her and cause any more injuries. Megan died immediately because a car crashed into her car going 75 mph. It was a miracle that there were no more people injured that day. THOSE ARE THE FACTS, from eye witnesses, police report and the investigation. I am a family member and we are beyond devastated. I am saddened that someone who uses the screen name "prayer guy" would post "enjoy the funeral". Shame on you. Megan's family has not said that they "blame" anyone one, we will leave that to the legal system. Megan's youngest sister is 17, some other cousins are as well. The thought that any of them would have to live with this kind of accident is not something we would wish on anyone. The message to pay attention while driving is for everyone, of any age, everywhere.

    -- Posted by bartley1 on Mon, Jul 27, 2009, at 3:24 AM
  • Some of you on here should be so ashamed of yourselves. What Prayerguy had to say was, yes, despicable, but where do you get off bashing Christianity AtomicDog? It doesn't make you any better. And frankly, faith played a huge role in Megan's life and she was very much a dedicated Christian. Does this mean you think she should burn in Hell?

    This is ridiculous. This isn't about religion at all. It's about the fact that this is an unsafe highway with unsafe practices and the combination of those and a driver who wasn't paying attention led to Megan's untimely and innocent death. Yes, this boy will live with this the rest of his life but I don't believe Megan or her family would want him to suffer from this pain. He is young and yes, he made a huge mistake but the legal system will judge and punish him accordingly. I think the best outcome for him in this truly unfortunate situation would be for him to learn a lesson and to teach others around him throughout the rest of his life the importance of paying attention and driving safely on roadways.

    Furthermore there are things we all can learn and then change from this accident. For one we can check how we are driving ourselves and be truly honest about how 'safe' we really are. Secondly, if you see someone on the road who is driving inappropriately you should report them. I know that truck drivers are probably the biggest safety hazard on this stretch of I-84 and I know they personally scare me to death. If you see one driving haphazardly report him/her to the police as well as their company.

    I saw the crash that Suzuki G is talking about. I was about to pull over and give them my first aid kit from my truck when the ambulance pulled up. All I could do that afternoon was pray for everyone involved. When I heard about Megan's accident I was terrified. Between the two, I can barely breathe thinking about going to Boise let alone actually drive there myself. I was on my way home from an appointment in Boise the day her accident happened. I wanted to know what was going on so I checked mountainhomenews.com and there was an article. I didn't know yet that it was Megan but I knew about the truck and the accident. The next morning all our friends had messages to Megan and her family on facebook and I put two and two together. I didn't see the accident and I was coming from the other side but I can personally say there wasn't a warning far enough in advance that my husband didn't have to hit the breaks and pull off quickly. There was one sign almost at the exit and they were just setting the flares up on that end of Mountain Home. Yes, there should have been better warning and handling of both situations, but we are all responsible as drivers' for our actions. That boy should have been paying attention and because he wasn't he took Megan's life. However, instead of persecuting him, ISP, etc. we should be coming together as a community and as patrons of that hwy and figuring out what we can learn from this to make these roads safer. Should we have special programs at the high school as a reminder to these new drivers to pay better attention? How about working with local and state police to better communicate with citizens and use better warnings and putting them further ahead for more reaction time? How about making a local telephone number (or something) for people in this area to report unsafe or suspicious drivers? There are a million things we can do. Stop the negativity and take this horrible (all around) situation and find something positive to do with it.

    I've said this in other places before but again to Mike, Wendy, John, etc. I'm so sorry for your loss- I know there are no words that can take this pain and sadness away but my heart goes out to you all and we are praying for you. Megan was a beautiful, smart, and gifted girl and she will be dearly missed. It is very evident that she touched so many lives in her short time here and I hope that when the mourning is over we can all celebrate the wonderful woman she was.

    -- Posted by mpratt on Mon, Jul 27, 2009, at 8:09 PM
  • Some of you on here should be so ashamed of yourselves. What Prayerguy had to say was, yes, despicable, but where do you get off bashing Christianity AtomicDog? It doesn't make you any better. And frankly, faith played a huge role in Megan's life and she was very much a dedicated Christian. Does this mean you think she should burn in Hell?

    This is ridiculous. This isn't about religion at all. It's about the fact that this is an unsafe highway with unsafe practices and the combination of those and a driver who wasn't paying attention led to Megan's untimely and innocent death. Yes, this boy will live with this the rest of his life but I don't believe Megan or her family would want him to suffer from this pain. He is young and yes, he made a huge mistake but the legal system will judge and punish him accordingly. I think the best outcome for him in this truly unfortunate situation would be for him to learn a lesson and to teach others around him throughout the rest of his life the importance of paying attention and driving safely on roadways.

    Furthermore there are things we all can learn and then change from this accident. For one we can check how we are driving ourselves and be truly honest about how 'safe' we really are. Secondly, if you see someone on the road who is driving inappropriately you should report them. I know that truck drivers are probably the biggest safety hazard on this stretch of I-84 and I know they personally scare me to death. If you see one driving haphazardly report him/her to the police as well as their company.

    I saw the crash that Suzuki G is talking about. I was about to pull over and give them my first aid kit from my truck when the ambulance pulled up. All I could do that afternoon was pray for everyone involved. When I heard about Megan's accident I was terrified. Between the two, I can barely breathe thinking about going to Boise let alone actually drive there myself. I was on my way home from an appointment in Boise the day her accident happened. I wanted to know what was going on so I checked mountainhomenews.com and there was an article. I didn't know yet that it was Megan but I knew about the truck and the accident. The next morning all our friends had messages to Megan and her family on facebook and I put two and two together. I didn't see the accident and I was coming from the other side but I can personally say there wasn't a warning far enough in advance that my husband didn't have to hit the breaks and pull off quickly. There was one sign almost at the exit and they were just setting the flares up on that end of Mountain Home. Yes, there should have been better warning and handling of both situations, but we are all responsible as drivers' for our actions. That boy should have been paying attention and because he wasn't he took Megan's life. However, instead of persecuting him, ISP, etc. we should be coming together as a community and as patrons of that hwy and figuring out what we can learn from this to make these roads safer. Should we have special programs at the high school as a reminder to these new drivers to pay better attention? How about working with local and state police to better communicate with citizens and use better warnings and putting them further ahead for more reaction time? How about making a local telephone number (or something) for people in this area to report unsafe or suspicious drivers? There are a million things we can do. Stop the negativity and take this horrible (all around) situation and find something positive to do with it.

    I've said this in other places before but again to Mike, Wendy, John, etc. I'm so sorry for your loss- I know there are no words that can take this pain and sadness away but my heart goes out to you all and we are praying for you. Megan was a beautiful, smart, and gifted girl and she will be dearly missed. It is very evident that she touched so many lives in her short time here and I hope that when the mourning is over we can all celebrate the wonderful woman she was.

    -- Posted by mpratt on Mon, Jul 27, 2009, at 8:12 PM
  • Some of you on here should be so ashamed of yourselves. What Prayerguy had to say was, yes, despicable, but where do you get off bashing Christianity AtomicDog? It doesn't make you any better. And frankly, faith played a huge role in Megan's life and she was very much a dedicated Christian. Does this mean you think she should burn in Hell?

    This is ridiculous. This isn't about religion at all. It's about the fact that this is an unsafe highway with unsafe practices and the combination of those and a driver who wasn't paying attention led to Megan's untimely and innocent death. Yes, this boy will live with this the rest of his life but I don't believe Megan or her family would want him to suffer from this pain. He is young and yes, he made a huge mistake but the legal system will judge and punish him accordingly. I think the best outcome for him in this truly unfortunate situation would be for him to learn a lesson and to teach others around him throughout the rest of his life the importance of paying attention and driving safely on roadways.

    Furthermore there are things we all can learn and then change from this accident. For one we can check how we are driving ourselves and be truly honest about how 'safe' we really are. Secondly, if you see someone on the road who is driving inappropriately you should report them. I know that truck drivers are probably the biggest safety hazard on this stretch of I-84 and I know they personally scare me to death. If you see one driving haphazardly report him/her to the police as well as their company.

    I saw the crash that Suzuki G is talking about. I was about to pull over and give them my first aid kit from my truck when the ambulance pulled up. All I could do that afternoon was pray for everyone involved. When I heard about Megan's accident I was terrified. Between the two, I can barely breathe thinking about going to Boise let alone actually drive there myself. I was on my way home from an appointment in Boise the day her accident happened. I wanted to know what was going on so I checked mountainhomenews.com and there was an article. I didn't know yet that it was Megan but I knew about the truck and the accident. The next morning all our friends had messages to Megan and her family on facebook and I put two and two together. I didn't see the accident and I was coming from the other side but I can personally say there wasn't a warning far enough in advance that my husband didn't have to hit the breaks and pull off quickly. There was one sign almost at the exit and they were just setting the flares up on that end of Mountain Home. Yes, there should have been better warning and handling of both situations, but we are all responsible as drivers' for our actions. That boy should have been paying attention and because he wasn't he took Megan's life. However, instead of persecuting him, ISP, etc. we should be coming together as a community and as patrons of that hwy and figuring out what we can learn from this to make these roads safer. Should we have special programs at the high school as a reminder to these new drivers to pay better attention? How about working with local and state police to better communicate with citizens and use better warnings and putting them further ahead for more reaction time? How about making a local telephone number (or something) for people in this area to report unsafe or suspicious drivers? There are a million things we can do. Stop the negativity and take this horrible (all around) situation and find something positive to do with it.

    I've said this in other places before but again to Mike, Wendy, John, etc. I'm so sorry for your loss- I know there are no words that can take this pain and sadness away but my heart goes out to you all and we are praying for you. Megan was a beautiful, smart, and gifted girl and she will be dearly missed. It is very evident that she touched so many lives in her short time here and I hope that when the mourning is over we can all celebrate the wonderful woman she was.

    -- Posted by mpratt on Mon, Jul 27, 2009, at 8:13 PM
  • The comments made on here are SPECIFICALLY about the religion of now-a-days. Who am I? I'm someone with the right to free speech. What in my comments do you think said that I think she should burn in hell? Her faith was between her and God. Because you are a christian you think that you have all the answers and can falsely accuse me of something I didn't say? That is exactly what I am talking about. You arrogant prideful christians judge EVERYONE and always fail to look in the mirror first. The only thing that I have said about the accident is that this guy committed a crime and should pay whatever price our justice system meters out to him. Christianity is a joke and people like you are the reason why.

    -- Posted by AtomicDog on Tue, Jul 28, 2009, at 12:29 AM
  • I find it deplorable that one person is dead and another was injured and may be facing jail time, and all everyone can do is argue and insult each other. You people are unbelievable.

    -- Posted by sylvie21 on Wed, Jul 29, 2009, at 1:19 PM
  • sylvie21 is completely right. This behavior is uncalled for.

    For those of you who claim the Christian faith, but yet have been saying horrible things about the boy, you should probably go have another look at the Bible. Are any of you God? Because He is the only one allowed to make judgments, and no human has that authority.

    For those of you bashing Christianity, I'm sorry you have to be so close minded. What are your reasons for disliking the faith? It's not what I believe, but we should be respectful of each other, and the differing faiths.

    Now, on topic:

    Thank goodness Megan had the right idea, wearing her seatbelt and turning her wheels away. Because of her good thinking, it was only her life. It's unfortunate that she had to go, but I have no doubt, according to what people have said about her, that she is okay wherever she is. My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family.

    As for the boy, yes he should have been paying attention. But must we condemn him when he's already got a life on his hands and the legal system to do that? My thoughts and prayers go out to him and to his family, because his family will now have to deal with their son's punishment too.

    Hopefully this is a lesson to all young drivers out there to pay attention.

    -- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Fri, Jul 31, 2009, at 12:23 PM
  • *

    And yet no one blames ISP for calling out a bomb threat and closing BOTH lanes of the interstes. The officer SAW that is was a hand grenade. Most people who've been in the military will tell you the effetive range of a hand grenade. Remember that one has to THROW the grenade so shrapnel would be limited IF the grenade went off. Someone said they didn't know what was in the truck..WRONG. It was stated this was a truck inspection done by a MVC Officer with ISP. The three things he would have ahd in his possesion at time of the indident would be the driver's license, the driver's log book and a manifest. Mind you both the log book AND the manifest are supposed to be in the DRIVER'S DOOR POCKET, per DOT rules. So now we have a grenade in an enclosed space the would have limited shaprnel exposure. But we STILL shut down both lanes of traffic! Yeah Yeah it might have gone off, it might have sprayed shrapnel across the road and hit someone....alot better odds you are gonna get hit from behind if someone stops you on an interstate. Now we come to that. From what I heard on the radio and what has been reported, the Elmore County Deputy just shut the interstate down. No warning..no slowing of traffic...just STOPPED IT COLD. Having been in law enforcement for 14+ years I was taught at a very early time in my career the proper way to shut down traffic on a busy road. They way NOT to do it was to just wheel out and throw up the stop sign. I was told by my instructors that stopping cold was a great way to cause major traffic accidents like the one that claimed the life of this innocent girl. Maybe there is a lack of training at the State and Local levels for Law Enforcement. Maybe someone needs to stpe forward and say enough and actually TRAIN cops to do the job RIGHT. After 14 years in law enforcement I've seen a steady decline in proper training for officers. They are allowed to take all the radar and taser classes they want but no one trains them on the necessities such as how to stop traffic without causing a fatal crash. These are the same people now training our COPS and cadets in traffic control. I saw first hand on July 4th how improper training nearly caused a crash on American Legion and 18th. The young cadet was using the traffic wand improperly and nearly had one car turn in front of another because of it. So instead of blaming a 17 year old boy or the young lady that was killed, let's blame the total cicumstances that lead to it all. Several people/agencies need to take part of it as well.

    -- Posted by mhbouncer on Fri, Jul 31, 2009, at 5:39 PM
  • I just wanted to say to Megans family that I am terribly sorry for your loss. You all are in my prayers. Also to the young man that hit her as well as his family you all are in my prayers as well. I have no clue what happened in the accident, but I know that this 17 year old is going to be troubled over this for the rest of his life. It was an accident, and this boy even if he was at fault needs encouragemnet and people to not bash him as he will do it himself whether he is punished by the courts or not. My heart reall goes out to all that were involved. God Bless!!

    -- Posted by heather_denver7 on Mon, Aug 3, 2009, at 1:58 PM
  • When the kid says that he was reaching for his cell phone that means that he wasn't paying attention. That's the bottom line. So if there were any number of things sitting in the road he would have hit it going full force. The young lady obviously had time to stop so the kid was a classic HUA. He deserves to go to jail. If her vehicle would have been disabled and she would have been sitting there he would have hit her too. My point is that you have to be paying attention when you are driving, period. If you don't and you take a life then you have to go to jail. I'm sure many people regret doing many illegal and stupid things for the rest of their lives, that doesn't mean that they get a free pass. LE has a not to easy job and they do it pretty well here. Glad that you aren't one of them but keep armchair quarterbacking. I know I know, you've had 14 years of training blah blah blah.

    -- Posted by AtomicDog on Tue, Aug 4, 2009, at 9:35 PM
  • WOW.....this place is for commenting on the article and now it's turned into some sort of arena for a very disgruntled person to vent his anger towards others. Everyone posting here has the same freedom of speech and the right to their own opinion. It seems that if one does not agree with you (Atomic Dog) they are idiots, self rightious etc? Guess what, this really isn't about you! This is about two young people that had their lives and the lives of their families changed forever in a second. My heart goes out to Connor and his family, I am so sorry that this happened to all of us. He has to live with this the rest of his live. If anyone wants to get on here and state that they have NEVER had one second/minute of inattention while driving I would have to say you are living in a state of denial, not just Idaho. One minute of looking at something on the side of the road, changing the radion station, reaching for a drink of coffee or soda......it could have happened any time, any place to anyone. The posts that blame the officers, the truck driver, the 17 yr old, Megan herself....enough. We don't live in a perfect world, can lessons be learned here? Absolutely! We will leave any charges up to the authorities, that's their job. Nothing will bring Megan back to us. As Michael so eloquently said on the tv interview, "his daughter is not the first to die in an accident like this, but he would be very happy if she was the last". Our Megan's physical presense is gone from our every day life but she will always be with us in our hearts and souls. The legacy she leaves behind from her short life is felt by all of her family and others that she touched. Megan has her own religious beliefs and was respectful of others, even if they were not the same.....she was not judgemental. Atomic Dog please take some of the energy you have and use it for positive in your live, and I say that without a reference to religion of any kind. Now we just try to get through one day at a time without Megan.

    -- Posted by bartley1 on Fri, Aug 7, 2009, at 10:34 AM
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