Wanted man suspected of fleeing accident

POST FALLS - A wanted Post Falls man is suspected of fleeing an injury accident that damaged a business sign on Friday night.

Travis E. Barnes, 31, was allegedly driving a black Honda Civic eastbound and crashed into the sign of Interstate Plastics at 3375 E. Seltice Way, causing an estimated $2,000 in damage to the sign.

Barnes allegedly fled the scene on foot and left behind three male passengers, including two children, with minor injuries.

"Officers searched the area, but were unable to locate Barnes," a police report states.

Barnes is wanted in Kootenai County on a $2,000 bond for misdemeanor battery. He has been arrested 18 times as an adult for charges including burglary, drugs, obstructing, malicious injury to property, probation violations, driving without privileges and grand theft.

The crash, which also caused major front-end damage to the Civic and broke a parking curb, was reported at 8:25 p.m.

A witness told police he saw Barnes exit the vehicle and flee east.

The adult passenger, who sustained multiple head wounds and a knee injury, told police that he didn't know why Barnes fled.

One of the passenger's sons sustained facial injuries, while the other was uninjured. The passenger declined medical treatment for himself and his son at the scene.

Police said Barnes' driver's license had been suspended for failure to maintain insurance.

A westbound motorist told police he had to swerve to avoid a collision with the Civic just prior to the crash.