JEROME COUNTY, IDAHO — A Virginia semi-truck driver avoided jail time after pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter Monday in connection with a November 2024 crash that killed a woman whose SUV had broken down on Interstate 84.
Jerome County District Court sentenced Carlton Crawford, 64, to two years of probation. The court handed down a 365-day jail sentence but suspended 363 days. Crawford received credit for the two days he already served. The court also ordered him to pay fines and restitution.
Carlton Crawford
What Happened on November 5, 2024
At approximately 4:53 a.m. on November 5, 2024, Samantha Smith, 34, of Twin Falls, pulled her 2006 Honda Pilot to a stop in the right westbound lane of I-84 near milepost 171 after her SUV broke down. She turned on her hazard lights and called emergency dispatch. Crawford, driving a 2022 Volvo semi-tractor westbound in the same lane, slammed into the back of her SUV. The impact sent the semi sideways into a jersey barrier. Smith died from her injuries. Crawford was not injured.
Idaho Transporation Department
Troopers pulled dashcam footage from Crawford’s truck. The footage showed Smith’s hazard lights were on and her rear lights were clearly visible. Investigators wrote in the affidavit that Crawford had several seconds to react and avoid the crash. They concluded he drove “without due regard and inattentively” in a manner that caused Smith’s death. Troopers arrested Crawford at the scene on probable cause for felony vehicular manslaughter and booked him into Jerome County Jail.
Idaho Transporation Department
I-84 closed for several hours following the crash. Jerome County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Transportation Department, Magic Valley Paramedics, Jerome Rural Fire, and Jerome City Fire all assisted at the scene.
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