3 Killed in Crash Near Sweet

3 Killed in Crash Near Sweet

Sweet, Idaho -- A father and his two daughters are dead after a fatal accident near Sweet.

The collision occurred just up the road from where five children lost their lives on Highway 52 last year.

Friends describe 38-year-old David Coburn and his family as close knit, warm, caring and religious.

"Just last week the father in church gave a speech about how wonderful his wife was and what a wonderful mother she was," said Lewis and Ellamay Johns.

They say it was a great tribute to Emily Coburn, who lost her husband, their 4-year-old daughter, Ellie, and their 8-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, in an accident near their home.

The collision happened in the blink of an eye.

Around 11:30 a.m., a trailer being pulled by a Ford pickup traveling northbound pickup, broke way from it's hitch and entered oncoming traffic.

"The vehicle south bound hit the trailer and went into the river," said Idaho State Police trooper Gordon Dye.

Neighbors nearby noticed the crash and immediately tried to pull Coburn and his three daughters to safety.

But David died at the scene. One of his daughters was transported by Life Flight to a Boise hospital, the two others were taken to an Emmett hospital.

Neighbors say Coburn's fourth daughter and his wife, Emily, were notified and went racing to the scene.

"A car stopped and the lady was Emily and she said 'Kelly, take my baby there's been a terrible accident,' " said the Johns.

For this community their grief comes with a touch of déjà vu.

"It's terrible especially when a year and a half ago we lost five others," said the Johns.

The Johns say they also knew the relatives of the children killed on their way to school when their car veered off an icy patch of Highway 52 into a pond.

They say this latest tragedy is another deep blow, but expect the community to pull together once again just as it's done before.

"This other family, we hope, they get the same response. Well I'm sure they will," said the Johns.

The condition of the third child involved in the crash is unknown.

The driver of the truck that was hauling the trailer -- 18-year-old Devin Morgan, of Sweet -- and his passenger were uninjured in the accident.

It's unknown if Coburn and his children were wearing their seatbelts. There's no indication at this time that alcohol or drugs were a factor.