An 86-year-old Deary man died Thursday morning after his pickup truck left the roadway on state Highway 8, struck a driveway entrance, became airborne, hit a tree, and overturned onto private property — all in the pre-dawn darkness of a stretch of road familiar to many Latah County residents.
Idaho State Police responded to the crash near milepost 26.8 on Highway 8, close to Deary, at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 19, 2026. The man was the sole occupant of a white Dodge Ram pickup truck that had been traveling eastbound when it crossed left of center and veered off the westbound side of the roadway.
The truck struck a driveway entrance, which launched the vehicle into the air. It then collided with a tree before rolling over and coming to rest on its roof on an embankment on adjacent private property. Investigators noted the driver was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Idaho State Police led the investigation. Family members have been notified of his death.
A Deadly Stretch of Highway
Highway 8 has seen its share of serious crashes in recent years, cutting across the rolling terrain of Latah County between Moscow and the small communities to the northeast, including Troy and Deary. The highway is a critical artery for rural residents, connecting farming communities and bedroom towns to regional services, and it carries both local and through traffic at all hours.
Early morning hours — when visibility is limited and fatigue is a factor — are among the most dangerous windows on rural two-lane highways. The stretch near milepost 26.8 is a winding section that demands careful navigation even under favorable conditions.
A previous serious crash on Highway 8 near Troy required the airlift of a mother and infant following a two-vehicle collision, underscoring the hazards that the route can present to local drivers.
Community Loss in Deary
The death of an 86-year-old Deary resident resonates in a small community where most residents know one another. Deary, a town of roughly several hundred people nestled in the forested hills of northern Latah County, has long been home to multigenerational farming and timber families whose roots run deep in the region.
The loss of an elderly community member in a single-vehicle crash is a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by rural highway travel, particularly during overnight and early morning hours when emergency response times can be longer and other motorists are less likely to witness and quickly report an incident.
Idaho State Police is continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash. No other vehicles were reported to be involved. Authorities have not publicly released additional details about the cause of the vehicle crossing the centerline.
What Comes Next
Idaho State Police will complete their investigation and produce an official crash report, which may shed additional light on contributing factors such as road conditions, vehicle mechanics, or driver health. The Idaho Transportation Department monitors crash data along state highways and may use incident information to evaluate whether safety improvements — such as additional signage, shoulder widening, or guardrail installation — are warranted near the milepost 26.8 area.
Residents with information relevant to the crash are encouraged to contact Idaho State Police District 2, which covers Latah County and the surrounding region.
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