Single-vehicle crash under investigation

The cause of a single-vehicle crash Tuesday near Cataldo is currently under investigation by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office, along with Kellogg Ambulance and Rose Lake Quick Response Unit, responded to the area of Canyon Road and Hardy Loop Road at 7:45 p.m.

Initial reports indicated a 1996 Chevy pickup truck had left Canyon Road and crashed into the slough, leaving the driver trapped in the vehicle underwater, so the KCSO Dive Team was called out. It was quickly determined only one corner of the vehicle was in the water. The truck was on its side and the driver was unresponsive and belted in.

The driver, Seth C. Drew, 32, of Coeur d'Alene, was transported to Kootenai Health with injuries that were not life-threatening. Kootenai Health spokeswoman Lisa Aitken said Wednesday afternoon that Drew remained in the hospital in fair condition.

The preliminary investigation indicates Drew was eastbound on Canyon Road where he crossed left over the center line. He reportedly left the north shoulder of the roadway before striking the guardrail at the intersection of Canyon Road and Hardy Loop Road and continued east on Canyon Road. He then struck the guardrail on the south side of the road four times before the truck jumped over the guardrail down a steep embankment toward the slough. The dense bushes along the shoreline apparently caused the pickup to overturn onto the passenger side.

Initial reports do not indicate the use of alcohol, but Drew was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance, "Spice," which is a synthetic form of marijuana. Some of the chemicals used to make the drug are similar to marijuana, but the effects vary.