CASSIA COUNTY, Idaho – A crash by a tanker in Idaho overnight Thursday night into Friday morning caused a bit of chaos on Interstate 84 in Idaho.
According to a press release from the Idaho State Police (ISP), on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 1:50 a.m., Idaho State Police responded to a tanker fire near milepost 217 on Interstate 84 eastbound near Heyburn.
Police say two 37-year-old men from El Paso, Texas were travelling eastbound on I-84 in a 2025 International semi-truck hauling an empty 2008 Brenner tanker trailer when the truck left the roadway off the right shoulder and struck the guard rail and part of a concrete wall. The semi and trailer then crossed I-84 and struck the north side of the overpass wall at N 950 E and caught fire, partially blocking the left lane.
The driver was able to exit the cab and get to a safe location, followed by the passenger, who was in the sleeper portion of the cab at the time of the crash.
Multiple surrounding fire departments arrived on scene shortly thereafter and extinguished the flames without further incident.
ISP said as a precaution, both eastbound and westbound lanes were initially blocked until it was determined the tanker trailer was empty and posed no additional threat.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
