ISP: Missing Smelterville man found deceased

COEUR d’ALENE — Idaho State Police (ISP) reports that on Nov. 20, at 6:45 p.m., the dispatch center received a call from concerned family members regarding an overdue motorist.

Robert R. Westbrook, 73, of Smelterville, Idaho, failed to return home from a medical appointment in Hayden, Idaho that day.

ISP issued an attempt to locate (ATL) for Westbrook and dispatched troopers to the areas to which he would have been traveling.

Utilizing Mr. Westbrook’s cell phone, the cell carrier was contacted and a trace of Westbrook’s phone was attempted.

The trace showed that the last location he was in was the Harrison/Rose Lake area on SH97 and SH3 the evening of Nov. 20.

The search continued into the next day as troopers and Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies began searching all roads in the area for any sign of Westbrook’s vehicle.

During the search, a trooper was traveling on SH3 at approximately 7:45 p.m. when he noticed tire tracks leading over an steep embankment.

He stopped to investigate further and located Mr. Westbrook’s vehicle- a tan 2008 Ford F350 pick-up.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that Westbrook was driving southbound on SH3 near milepost 94, just north of the Kootenai/Benewah County lines, when he failed to negotiate a right hand curve, went left of center, and off the left shoulder of the roadway.

The vehicle then went over the embankment and struck a large tree, coming to rest on it’s roof.

Westbrook had been ejected from the vehicle as a result and was found deceased at the scene.

He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Next of kin has been notified and an autopsy will be performed to determine time of death.

ISP states that the investigation is continuing.