Boise man dies in fiery head-on crash on I-84

Very little was left of the engine compartment and driver's section of the vehicle.

A Boise man was killed in a fiery crash this afternoon 5 miles east of Glenns Ferry on Interstate 84 when his van crossed the median and crashed into an oncoming semi-truck.

36-year-old Edward James McDermott was eastbound at about 1:47 p.m. when his 2004 Mazda Tribute crossed the median into the path of a 2000 Freightliner driven by 58-year-old Michael C. Williams of Caldwell.

The victim's vehicle was torn almost in half in the impact and burst into flames. He was ejected from the vehicle, along with the driver's seat. It's unknown if he had been wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire was put out shortly after the crash by local fire crews from Glenns Ferry. The truck driver, Williams, was not injured in the crash.

One westbound lane of traffic was temporarily blocked while officers investigated and the wreckage was cleared. The interstate was covered with debris from parts of the McDermott vehicle, which was totaly destroyed from the driver's door forward.

Officers are still investigating what may have caused McDermott to veer across the median.

McDermott was traveling to Billings, Mont., to see his daughter and ex-wife, Ginger McDermott.

The semi, owned by Simplot Trucking, was pulling a set of double dump trailers and hauling a load of potatoes at the time of the crash.