Body of missing Montana man discovered Friday morning near Lowman after vehicle crash

The body of a Montana man who had been missing for more than two weeks was discovered Friday morning in Boise County, a few miles south of Lowman, according to Idaho State Police.

He had been involved in a single-vehicle crash.

Michael Edward Lopez, 71, had been missing since Nov. 10. He had left Missoula, where he lived, en route to Caldwell, according to police.

On Friday morning, Lopez’s body was discovered near Highway 21, about four miles south of Lowman.

Driving southbound in a pickup truck, Lopez “left the edge of the roadway and rolled down a steep embankment,” a Friday evening news release said. Lopez was not wearing a seat belt, police added, and “was deceased on scene.”

Lopez’s body was identified in cooperation between the Boise County Sheriff’s Office and the Boise County Coroner, the release said. A private helicopter crew had been assisting the sheriff in the search after authorities learned Lopez’s cellphone had pinged a nearby cell tower. The helicopter crew spotted the truck on the embankment, police said.

It is unclear when the crash occurred, according to state police spokesperson Lynn Hightower. An investigation is ongoing.