Convicted of fatal motorway collision

In March 2023, two women were killed in a tragic two-vehicle accident on an Idaho highway. The deceased women were passengers in the vehicles while the drivers of both vehicles were taken to hospitals. One of these drivers was charged with manslaughter and found guilty.

The driver who caused the accident, then 41-year-old Andrew D. Blanchard, was convicted after a jury trial in early November. The two cases of negligent homicide are administrative offenses. Blanchard was sentenced to 360 days in jail, followed by 4 years of probation, and his driver’s license will be suspended for 10 years.

Blanchard will also be required to participate in a drug court program because substance abuse was considered one of the contributing factors to the accident. On the day of the accident, he tested positive for methamphetamine.

Details of fatal crash on I84 near Blackfoot

The fatal accident occurred on March 26, 2023 on I84 near Blackfoot. According to the police report, Blanchard drove his Lincoln Navigator across the median into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a Toyota RAV4.

The crash killed one passenger in each vehicle, a 38-year-old woman in the Lincoln and an 18-year-old woman in the Toyota.

READ MORE: Read the original story about the fatal 2023 accident

According to East Idaho News, the trial lasted a day and the jury deliberated for 17 minutes before reaching a decision.