Man arrested in hit-and-run incident

HAYDEN — The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office on Friday arrested a 43-year-old Hayden man in connection to a hit-and-run accident that occurred last year.

According to a KCSO press release, James D. Estes “has been an investigative lead throughout the investigation and just recently the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office was able to get an arrest warrant for Estes.”

The original incident occurred about 4:50 p.m. Dec. 9 in the parking lot of the Hico Country Store at the intersection of Hayden Avenue and Ramsey Road. The victim, a 61-year-old Hayden man, sustained significant injuries but is recovering, the release said.

The gas station provided video surveillance of the incident, which showed a small SUV running over the victim.

After the collision, the SUV stopped, and then fled the scene. Based on information from the public, deputies identified a possible suspect vehicle, the release said.

A search warrant was served on the vehicle and evidence was sent to labs for testing.

When the lab results were returned, authorities arrested Estes without incident on a warrant with the help of members from the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force, the release said.

Bond was set at $10,000.