Fremont Idaho deputy honored for helping colleague during violent crash

ST. ANTHONY -- On September 9, 2015 at approximately 9:30 p.m., Fremont County Sheriff deputies Howard Overton and Joseph Powell were on the scene of a traffic accident when another motorist ran into them and their patrol vehicles.

Overton saw the vehicle coming and was able to dive out of the way. Powell was not so lucky. When the errant vehicle slammed into Overton's patrol car, the latter plowed into Powell and also hit another person on the scene.

Powell was seriously injured. Overton quickly evaluated all the wounded. An off-duty ambulance from another jurisdiction happened to be driving by and came to their assistance. Powell and another seriously injured individual were airlifted to an area hospital.

In spite of the accident and all the stress that came with it, Overton returned to work the following evening so that his coworkers would not have to find a replacement for his shift. Overton’s ability to recover, stay calm, and use the resources at his disposal were instrumental in preventing a bad situation from turning fatal.

Powell is still recovering and will probably always be affected by his injuries. However, he is back at work on full time service as a police officer.