Local Briefs November 21, 2010

Woman dies following car wreck

HAYDEN - An 88-year-old woman died Saturday morning at Kootenai Medical Center after the car she was traveling in collided with a semi truck Friday afternoon, according to Idaho State Police.

Vivian Scott of Coeur d'Alene was the passenger in a 1983 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Samuel R. Whitaker, 65, of Dalton Gardens, that was traveling southbound on U.S. 95 at the intersection of Highway 53, police said. Passing through a green light, the Monte Carlo collided with a Western semi tractor and low boy trailer, loaded with heavy equipment and driven by Bill T. Haughton, 74, of Coeur d'Alene.

The semi was traveling eastbound on Highway 53 and had failed to yield at a red light, police said.

Officers responded to the scene at 3:44 p.m. Scott, who had been wearing a seat belt, was transported to KMC and died Saturday, police said.

The Monte Carlo hit the semi at the driver's side fuel tank, police said, causing 30 gallons of fuel to leak from the truck. The scene was declared a hazardous material spill, and the road was blocked for nearly an hour and a half, police said.

Haughton and Whitaker were both uninjured in the crash, police said. The investigation is ongoing.

Three injured in U.S. 95 crash

COEUR d'ALENE - Three people were injured in a multi-vehicle wreck Friday night on U.S. 95, according to Idaho State Police.

Angela Thompson, 32, of Plummer, was driving a 1989 Lincoln Towncar northbound near milepost 427 when she lost control of the vehicle, police said. The Towncar collided with a 2010 Dodge Caliber driven by Patricia Kienow of Post Falls, and also hit a 2002 Chevrolet Astro van driven by Katherine Wallace, 23, of Post Falls.

Both Kienow and Wallace were traveling southbound at the time, police said. Officers responded to the scene at 7:06 p.m.

Thompson and Kienow were injured in the collision and transported to Kootenai Medical Center, where they were released later that night, according to hospital personnel. Wallace was uninjured, police said.

U.S. 95 was blocked for two hours after the incident, police said. Thompson was cited for inattentive driving.

All three people were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, police said.