One hospitalized after two-car crash on Ironwood
RALPH BARTHOLDT/Press Coeur d’Alene Fire Department firefighter Brennon Pickett disconnects the battery cables of a GMC Terrain that was involved in a two-car crash before noon Tuesday at the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and Ironwood Drive, as one of the motorists involved in the crash awaits transport to Kootenai Health. Three people were transported with non life-threatening injuries, police said, and a dog, which was uninjured, was taken into police care.
One person was admitted to Kootenai Health and two people were treated and released Tuesday following a two-car crash before noon on a major Coeur d’Alene thoroughfare.
Jeffrey Smith, 59, was listed in good condition Tuesday afternoon at Kootenai Health and Jeffrey Lipscomb, 58, and David Lipscomb 59, were treated and released after their white Chevrolet SUV collided with a GMC Terrain at 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and Ironwood Drive.
The GMC driver, Keith Edmonds, 62, was cited for failing to yield.
Police said the SUV, with three passengers and a dog, was heading south through a green light at the Northwest Boulevard intersection when the Terrain drove through a red light and collided with the SUV.
A flashing yellow light was recently added to the intersection, which includes three northbound lanes and a turn lane in addition to four southbound lanes, two of which flare into turn lanes. The intersection, just south of Interstate 90, also includes several east and westbound lanes.
“(Edmonds) noticed the yellow flashing light for the westbound turn lane on Seltice (Avenue) and he turned thinking the flashing yellow light was for him,” according to a police report. “Because he did not realize the lane he was in was no longer a turn lane.”
Traffic backed up for approximately a half-hour as police confined motorists to a couple lanes while officers and employees from Schaffer’s Towing cleared the scene.
Police said it’s too early to tell what results the newly added flashing light will have at the intersection.
“I don’t think we have enough time and information to state whether it is an issue yet or not,” Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar said. “For local drivers who have driven the roads for many years, traffic control changes can catch them off guard.”