Driver who fled from crash found 21 hours later

A driver who fled from a rollover crash in the Coeur d'Alene National Forest late Friday night, resulting in an extensive search, was found some 21 hours later in the Chilco area, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

Around 10:30 p.m. on Friday, sheriff's deputies were called to the scene of a single-vehicle rollover in the thickly forested area about 3 miles due east of Chilco and about 5 miles southeast of Athol.

A 911 call came into the sheriff's office from a female reporting that her and her boyfriend and her three juvenile sons were driving in the National Forest looking for an area to camp in when they came to the end of a narrow road. The female and the juveniles had exited her Chevrolet Suburban so her boyfriend could turn the truck around.

However, the rear tires slid over the edge of the road and the truck went down the hill about 50 feet, rolling several times.

At the time of the crash, the female didn't know what their location was. Using GPS coordinates from her 911 call, the location was estimated to be in the area of US Forest Service Road 406 and US Forest Service Road 1552. Due to the remote area and not having an exact location of the crash, helicopter resources were requested from the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit. Air 1 located the crash scene around 11:30 p.m. and directed responders to the scene.

The driver of the truck was identified as Jeremy Jernick, 43, of Spokane. Jernick fled the area prior to emergency responders arriving. According to his girlfriend, Jernick fled because he believed he had a warrant for his arrest, though he didn't, the sheriff's office said.

Due to initial reports that Jernick sustained injuries in the crash and impending weather system moving into the area, the Sheriff's Backcountry Unit was called out to assist in searching for him. The search for Jernick continued until nearly 6 a.m. Saturday without success.

Later in the morning, the Sheriff's Volunteer Search and Rescue Unit were also called to the area. They utilized multiple resources, including search dogs, ATV's and an airplane until just after 6 p.m.

Just before 7:30, a caller reported she saw Jernick at Bunco Road and U.S. 95 and stopped. Sheriff's deputies and medical personnel were dispatched to the area. After being cleared by medical units, Jernick was taken into custody for leaving the scene of a crash and booked into the Kootenai County Jail.