Trial set for deadly U.S. 95 crash that left three dead

COEUR d’ALENE — A trial date was set in the case of a North Idaho man charged with three counts of felony vehicular manslaughter stemming from a head-on collision on U.S. 95 in September.

Ryan J. Turner, 27, of Spirit Lake, is scheduled to be tried by a jury in 1st District Court starting on June 7. The trial is expected to last five days, and Judge Lansing Haynes has been assigned the case.

The Sept. 12 collision left Mathew-Michael Baroni, 33; Madilyn Baroni, 8; and Molly Baroni, 6, all of Spokane, dead at the scene.

Baroni was southbound with his daughters in his 1997 Dodge Caravan on the highway when they encountered Turner traveling northbound in his 2011 Chevy Silverado truck in the southbound lane. They collided south of Athol at milepost 448.

Turner was taken to Kootenai Health for his injuries, but was treated and released to the Kootenai County jail days later. He posted bail of $100,000 and was released.

Prosecutors said Turner allegedly confessed to drinking beer before the accident, and that a beer can was allegedly found in his truck.

Charging documents allege he was driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.155 percent, which is above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

He entered not guilty pleas to the charges at a Dec. 8 arraignment hearing.