Report of crash halts train service
Two separate incidents — a car crash reported in an unknown location and a police pursuit that ended in crash — kept Kootenai County Sheriff's deputies busy early Sunday morning.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, a 911 caller reported a crash somewhere in the area of Highway 54, between Athol and Bayview.
The caller told the 911 operator she had received a phone call from Joe Ransom, 53, of Spirit Lake, telling her that he had been involved in a crash with Heath Nimmo, 34, of Bayview.
According to a press release by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, Ransom told the caller the vehicle had rolled several times and then caught fire. Ransom was able to get out of the vehicle but told the caller Nimmo was trapped and he didn't know if Nimmo "was going to make it." Additionally, it was reported that a train could be heard in the background.
Ten KCSO deputies, along with units from the Idaho State police, responded to the call in attempt to locate the vehicle. They focused the search near the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroad tracks near Athol. Train service for both railroads was halted during the search.
Ransom was located at a residence in Spirit Lake at approximately 3:20 a.m. Deputies were able to contact him and gather additional information to further focus the search. Around 4 a.m., Nimmo was located in his vehicle off of a railroad access road, approximately one mile north of Highway 54. The vehicle had rolled 75 feet down a steep cliff and came to rest against a tree. There was no indication the vehicle had been on fire.
Nimmo told rescuers he was unable to leave the vehicle because he lost his shoes in the crash.
Ransom had superficial injuries from the crash and Nimmo was transported to Kootenai Health with non-life threatening injuries.
Nimmo received a citation for driving under the influence of alcohol. The investigation is ongoing and both Nimmo and Ransom could face other charges stemming from the incident.
• A short time later, the third police pursuit in a week for the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office and Coeur d'Alene Police Department ended in a crash.
Around 4:35 a.m. a deputy from KCSO attempted to stop a speeding vehicle near U.S. 95 and Canfield Avenue. The vehicle, a 2001 Ford F-150 pickup, was traveling at approximately 80 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour speed zone. In addition, the pickup was swerving across both southbound lanes, according to the press release from KCSO.
The pickup did not yield and a pursuit was initiated. The vehicle continued south on U.S. 95 at a high rate of speed. At the intersection of Highway 95 and Lincoln Way, the pickup failed to negotiate a corner, struck a large boulder in the median, became airborne and crashed in the parking lot of The Grove apartment complex. Members of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department responded and helped to secure the scene.
Dustin Barker, 35, of Kalispell, Mont., was taken into custody and transported to Kootenai Health with non-life threatening injuries. A female passenger was not injured and was released. Barker was treated and released from the hospital. He was booked into the Kootenai County jail for excessive driving under the influence of alcohol and felony eluding.