Roundabouts prove rough in DUI cases

POST FALLS — How are folks accused of driving under the influence supposed to drive straight when roundabouts keep getting in the way?

Post Falls Police responded to two DUI crashes in the same night late Sunday and early Monday at different roundabouts on Poleline Avenue.

In both cases, the vehicles became stuck in the center of the intersections and the drivers were not forthright.

The two male occupants involved in the first crash — on Sunday around 10 p.m. on Syringa — initially told police that the driver fled on foot, but an investigation revealed he was still on scene, according to police reports.

Luis Angel Evaristo Balderas was arrested and booked into jail after being evaluated at Kootenai Health for facial, arm and knee injuries.

"(The passenger) initially stated it was another Hispanic male around 5-foot-8 (who was driving the Chevy truck), while Luis stated it was a taller Russian white male," the report states.

The passenger then stated to police that it was Balderas who was driving after the two were confronted about the inconsistent statements, the report states.

The truck had become high-centered in the center of the roundabout.

The driver involved in the second crash — at 2:38 a.m. on Monday at the roundabout on Spokane Street — fled the scene and could not be located.

A 2000 Dodge Ram truck with Washington plates became wedged on a large rock in the intersection.

"The lower section of the bumper was hanging off the vehicle and was almost completely separated," the report stated. "The vehicle was also missing its driver's side running board."

The landscaping and a sign were also damaged.

Officers spotted a male fleeing over a fence, but he was not located. The vehicle's owner is considered a suspect.