Idaho has been a dangerous place for e-bikes and off-highway vehicles in recent days with crashes leaving two people dead and others airlifted to hospitals with injuries.
The grim series of incidents underscores the hazards of outdoor recreation as Idaho’s summer season reaches its peak with the July 4 holiday.
The most recent crash occurred late Friday night in Elmore County, when a 47-year-old Gooding man died after the Kawasaki UTV he was driving missed a curve on Lester Creek Road near Pine, went off the right shoulder and struck a tree.
The vehicle came to rest in the middle of the intersection of Lester Creek Road and Bombs Away Lane, blocking it for approximately four hours.
Two male passengers — a 33-year-old and a 48-year-old, both from Gooding — were airlifted to a local hospital with injuries. Authorities have not yet provided any condition updates.
All three occupants were wearing safety harnesses at the time of the crash, authorities said.
Idaho State Police were assisted at the scene by Elmore County sheriff’s deputies, Mountain Home EMS, Mountain Home Rescue, Pine EMS and Pine Rescue. The crash remains under investigation.
Earlier in the week, a child was airlifted to a hospital Thursday evening after crashing a dirt bike in the Mill Creek dispersed camping area of Island Park. Fremont County emergency responders were dispatched to the area around 7 p.m. and called for an emergency helicopter after arriving on scene. The girl was transported to a local hospital. Her condition has not been released and the crash remains under investigation.
And on the night of June 26, a 35-year-old Spirit Lake man died after losing control of an e-bike on Highway 41 north of Spirit Lake in North Idaho’s Bonner County. The rider was thrown from the bicycle and died despite life-saving efforts by fire personnel on scene. He was wearing a motorcycle-style helmet at the time. The highway was blocked for approximately three hours. The incident remains under investigation by Idaho State Police.
The crashes come as recreational areas across Idaho are seeing heavy holiday weekend traffic. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is reminding recreationists to always wear protective gear and remain aware of their surroundings when operating off-highway vehicles.
The names of the crash victims haven’t been released.