A Sept. 10, 2024, crash on Interstate 84 in Idaho severely hurt Erin Nelson of Baker City and totaled the 2020 Jeep Wrangler she was driving.

When Garrett Nelson saw the mangled remnants of the vehicle his wife, Erin, and stepson, Josiah Torres, were riding in, he didn’t recognize it as his family’s Jeep.

The 2020 four-door Wrangler, which the Baker City couple has owned since May, barely resembled a passenger car.

Both Erin, 41, and Josiah, 15, survived the crash that according to an Idaho State Police report was caused by a reckless driver who was racing another car, at speeds up to 110 mph, on Interstate 84 near Caldwell, Idaho, on the early evening of Sept. 10.

Erin sustained several injuries, the most serious being a fractured skull, Garrett said.

Although she was not breathing when emergency responders arrived at the crash, her condition has improved, Garrett said on Monday morning, Sept. 16.

The day before, Erin sat up with help, Garrett said.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, a surgeon at Saint Alphonsus Hospital in Boise removed a 1-inch by 1-inch piece of Erin’s skull that was lodged in the superior sagittal sinus, a vital vein. 

Garrett said surgeons attached plates to stabilize Erin’s skull.

Doctors also found that Erin has torn ligaments in her left knee, and torn tendons in her right knee.

“She’s recovering faster than I anticipated, but she has a long ways to go,” Garrett said.

He has been in Boise with his wife almost constantly since the incident. The couple have been married for five years.

Erin was able to breathe on her own starting on Sept. 12, Garrett said.

The next day she was able to start talking.

“She wants coffee and bacon,” Garrett said with a laugh.

Erin’s other injuries included a fractured collarbone, ribs and wrist, and lung damage, Garrett said on Monday.

Josiah sustained a compound fracture of one wrist and a broken pinky finger. Both injuries required surgery, Garrett said. Josiah, who also sustained a concussion according to court records, has returned to Baker City and is recovering.

Garrett said the support from family and friends has been “huge.”

The couple own A Cut Above tree service in Baker City.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for the Nelsons.

The crash

Garrett, 49, said Erin and Josiah were driving back to Baker City after medical appointments.

They were in the fast lane of the westbound freeway near Milepost 20.5, in Canyon County close to the Sand Hollow exit.

Garrett said two other drivers, who apparently were racing, were behind Erin and Josiah, also in the westbound lanes.

Garrett said according to witnesses, one of the cars tried to pass Erin’s Jeep on the freeway shoulder. The car sideswiped the Jeep, causing Erin to lose control.

Garrett said the Jeep swerved across both westbound lanes, then rolled three times and flipped end over end two times before flying over two fences, the taller of which is about 9 to 10 feet tall.

“It flew like 30 yards,” he said. “The Jeep was absolutely destroyed.”

Both of the racing drivers fled, Garrett said.

Based on information from eyewitnesses, Garrett said, Idaho State Police arrested Riley Joseph Lundy, 19, who is suspected of driving the car that hit the Jeep Erin was driving.

According to court records, police arrested Lundy on Sept. 12, two days after the crash.

Lundy is charged with two counts of aggravated reckless driving, and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in an injury or death. Both charges are felonies.

Lundy had a preliminary hearing Sept. 23 in Canyon County Magistrate Court. Lundy’s bail was set at $50,000. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7 to consider Lundy’s request for a reduction in the bail. Lundy was in the Canyon County Jail as of Sept. 26.

Police report

Idaho State Police Trooper Jeffrey Baxter described his investigation of the crash in a probable cause affidavit.

Baxter wrote that “multiple eyewitnesses stated a black car, and a blue car, were weaving through traffic at a high rate of speed.”

Baxter wrote that during the investigation he learned that the two cars racing were a black BMW and a blue Volkswagen. He had a possible license plate for the BMW, and the car is registered to Lundy. Baxter went to Lundy’s address and saw a BLM with “heavy passenger side damage consistent with the damage on the Jeep” (driven by Erin Nelson).

Baxter wrote that he also found at the crash site a piece of plastic labeled with part numbers from a BMW.

Baxter wrote that Idaho State Police had a call from a friend of Lundy’s, who told police that Lundy had talked with the friend about the crash on Sept. 10.

Baxter interviewed Lundy on Sept. 12. Baxter wrote that during the interview Lundy admitted driving at 110 mph. Lundy told the trooper that he “misjudged the gap between the two vehicles and collided with the Jeep.”

Lundy told the trooper that he saw the Jeep crash, but he “kept going because he was scared.”