2 people, 14 dogs killed in crash on Idaho interstate

BOISE, Idaho – Idaho State Police say two people and more than a dozen dogs died when a box truck transporting animals for a rescue group crashed in eastern Idaho.

They say the truck was the only vehicle involved in the accident reported early Friday on Interstate 15 near Shelley. The driver and a passenger, both from Phoenix, died of their injuries, along with 14 dogs.

Investigators say the truck was taking 48 dogs of mixed breeds and different sizes to Calgary in Alberta, Canada, for adoption. All the dogs were in kennels for the trip, but several escaped. So far, 18 of those animals have been found and 16 remained unaccounted for, police said.

Investigators say the crash occurred when the truck left the roadway and hit an embankment. The driver, 40-year-old Christopher Kracht, was flown to a hospital where he died of his injuries, authorities said. His passenger, Ann Watson, 38, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Local animal shelters are helping care for the surviving dogs until representatives from the animal rescue network can take them to Canada, where shelters are waiting to place the dogs in homes. The name of the animal rescue network was not released.