Man survives 3 crashes on 1 road

The only survivor of a crash on Lovell Valley Road near Plummer, Idaho has survived two other one-car crashes on that same road.

Joseph M. Matt, 24, of Worley, was thrown from a 1997 Jeep Cherokee about 1:10 p.m. on Tuesday after the car left the road and vaulted nearly 250 feet, taking off the tops of two trees.

William “Sonny” A. Davison, 22, of Desmet, was also ejected and died at the scene. Alcohol was a factor in the crash, according to Idaho State Police, and investigators haven’t determined who was driving.

Matt’s sister, Veronica J. Matt, died in a crash on Lovell Valley Road March 26, along with her mother, Juanita A. Garcia, 42, who was driving. Veronica was driving a 2003 Chevy Blazer when it veered off the road.

Joseph Matt was in the car, along with 25-year-old Dianna Matheson, of Worley, niece of tribal councilman David Matheson, tribal officials and the ISP said.

Joseph Matt and Diana Matheson were also injured on the road in a crash in October 2000, according to previously published reports. The two were passengers in a 1987 Chevy Cavalier that went off the road.

Lovell Valley Road stretches from Tekoa, Wash., to Highway 95 south of Plummer. It’s a relatively straight road, said Coeur d’Alene Tribe spokesman Marc Stewart, and the tribe has paid for paving improvements over the years. 

While the four deaths this year are alarming, they occurred on different stretches of the road. All were one-car crashes in which the driver lost control and veered off the road.