ASHTON — A chain-reaction crash involving five vehicles shut down U.S. Highway 20 for over three hours Wednesday afternoon after a series of vehicles reacted to and collided with each other near the scene of an earlier crash north of Ashton, according to Idaho State Police.
The pileup that left a child injured began just after noon as Fremont County Sheriff’s Office deputies were investigating a separate two-vehicle crash on Highway 20.
A 43-year-old man from Clinton, Utah, driving an eastbound 2026 Dodge Ram pulling an RV trailer, came upon the scene and moved into the eastbound passing lane to give the deputies room.
At the same time, a 2022 Honda Odyssey driven by a 27-year-old man from Salt Lake City was traveling westbound and slowed down. A 2022 Tesla Model 3 behind it, driven by a 20-year-old woman from Idaho Falls, wasn’t able to slow down in time and rear-ended the Honda.
Moments later, a 56-year-old man from St. Anthony driving a 2025 GMC Sierra pickup pulling a flatbed trailer moved into the eastbound passing lane and sideswiped both the Tesla and the Honda. The impact sent the Tesla spinning clockwise until it came to rest sideways, blocking the westbound travel lane.
A 2019 Subaru Ascent, driven by a 71-year-old man from Lawrence, Kansas, swerved to avoid hitting the now-stopped Tesla — and in doing so, swerved into the eastbound passing lane and struck the Dodge Ram.
By the time it was over, five vehicles across both directions of Highway 20 were involved in the crash.
The only person reportedly injured in the wreck was a juvenile passenger in the Honda, who was taken to a local hospital by ambulance and was later released.
Authorities have not released the names of those involved in the collision.
Idaho State Police were assisted at the scene by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Fremont County EMS, Ashton Police Department, North Fremont Fire Department, St. Anthony Police Department and the Idaho Transportation Department.
The crash remains under investigation by state police.