Warrant issued in DUI accident

COEUR d'ALENE - A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a 38-year-old Coeur d'Alene man who allegedly injured his 3-year-old daughter in a DUI-related car accident.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Department said Thursday it concluded its investigation into the Jan. 27 crash, which sent the driver, Timothy J. Freund, and his daughter to the hospital.

Deputies responded about 3:30 p.m. that day to Avondale Loop and Miles Avenue near the city of Hayden Lake for the crash. On scene, deputies found Freund standing outside his wrecked vehicle, holding his daughter in his arms. His car collided head-on with a large tree off the side of the road.

His daughter had a head injury, the sheriff's department said. Initially Freund, who also was visibly injured, refused medical assistance for the both of them.

However, while speaking with Freund, a deputy smelled an "overwhelming" odor of alcohol coming from him and began a DUI investigation, the sheriff's department said.

A short time later, the deputy took Freund into custody for DUI.

His daughter was initially transported to Kootenai Medical Center and later transferred to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

Freund was transported to the Kootenai County jail, but then complained of injuries.

He was taken to KMC for treatment as well as a legal blood draw to determine his level of intoxication.

The sheriff's department traffic team determined the cause of the collision was allegedly a direct result of Freund's impairment, the sheriff's department said.

Both Freund and his daughter have been released from the area hospitals.

Freund's blood-alcohol level was allegedly found to be 0.32, which is four times above the legal limit, the sheriff's department said.

On Tuesday, Freund was charged with felony injury to a child, felony aggravated DUI and felony DUI.

A judge found probable cause for the felony charges and issued a warrant for Freund's arrest, setting his bond at $50,000 upon his arrest.

Freund's criminal history includes two prior arrests in 2009 for DUI and leaving the scene of a crash, a 2007 arrest for boating under the influence, and a 2007 arrest for DUI, accoding to the sheriff's department.