CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A Canyon County father charged in the 2025 death of his 7-year-old son was speeding and using his cellphone in the moments before a fatal I-84 crash, according to newly released court documents.
Austin Summers is facing one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and two counts of felony injury to children in connection with the Nov. 25, 2025, crash near Robinson Road in Nampa.
Idaho News 6 previously reported that Graham Summers, 7, died at the scene after the crash. Two other children riding in the back seat were injured but survived.
According to court documents, Graham was riding in the front passenger seat and was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash happened. The documents say Summers told investigators his son had unbuckled himself while they were driving.
WATCH: What the probable cause affidavit reveals about the deadly I-84 crash.
In a filing shared with investigators, Summers wrote, "While I am devastated by the loss of my son, I take responsibility not in that I was impaired by any means, or that Graham unilaterally took his seatbelt off while I was driving on the freeway, but that I should have immediately pulled over and made sure he was properly buckled. That will haunt me forever."
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Investigators say Summers was driving between 73 and 75 mph in a posted 65 mph zone when his GMC struck the back of a Ford F-450 that had lost engine power and was traveling slowly in the far-right lane.
Investigators also allege he was distracted by his cellphone at the time of the crash.
Court documents say investigators obtained data from Summers' cellphone after securing a search warrant. According to the records, the phone was actively used in the minutes leading up to the crash, including reading messages and using applications such as Instagram and Amazon.
The documents state the phone's camera was used to take a picture and video a different crash scene at about 3 p.m. Investigators say a photo was reopened at 3:01 p.m., a text message was read at 3:02 p.m., an Instagram image was accessed at 3:03 p.m., and an outgoing 911 call was placed at 3:04 p.m. after the collision.
According to court records, Summers initially consented to investigators extracting data from his phone before withdrawing that consent. Investigators later obtained a search warrant.
Court documents also state Summers admitted in a filing to using cocaine on the Saturday before the crash but maintained he was not impaired while driving.
The records say blood and urine samples collected as part of Summers' medical treatment after the crash tested positive for cocaine and opiates. However, the documents state those samples were collected without a documented chain of custody and should not be used for legal or employment purposes.
Investigators allege that Summers' speed and distracted driving were the primary causes of the crash, while the Ford's sudden loss of engine power was a secondary factor.
Summers is currently being held on a $500,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Aug. 6, where the court is expected to address his bond and the charges against him.
