Fatal I-90 crash investigation continues
One person died and another was hospitalized last weekend after a police chase that culminated in a crash at Knudtsen Chevrolet in Post Falls.
COEUR d’ALENE — A woman injured in a police pursuit that culminated in a fatal crash last weekend has been released from the hospital and arrested for an unrelated warrant, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office is investigating the crash, which occurred Saturday, April 1, on Interstate 90 in Post Falls. Idaho State Police were in pursuit of two Spokane residents who were driving a stolen vehicle and were suspected of a theft at North 40 Outfitters in Coeur d’Alene, Undersheriff Brett Nelson said.
The sheriff’s office identified the driver as Justin A. Webster, 21, and the passenger as Angelica L. Skelton, 28.
As police pursued the pair west on I-90, their vehicle “left the roadway” and came to rest on the property of Knudtsen Chevrolet.
Webster sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene, police said.
Skelton was transported to Kootenai Health with serious injuries, but discharged early this week. After her release, police arrested her for a misdemeanor theft warrant out of Bonner County, where she remains in jail.
Eve Knudtsen, owner of the Chevrolet dealership, said she was shocked to learn about the crash, which totaled one vehicle in the parking lot and damaged four others.
“God bless all the people who were here, customers and employees,” she said. “It was probably one of the most difficult days of their lives. It was a sad thing that we all had to share.”
Sales manager Bryan McConnaha witnessed the crash and its aftermath. He said around 30 people were on the showroom floor at the time, a mix of employees and customers.
“It was sheer luck and timing that nobody was injured,” McConnaha said.
After careening off the road, the stolen vehicle rolled down an embankment, McConnaha said, crashed through a fence and hit another car with so much force it flipped over the car and went airborne.
The vehicle landed in the middle of the parking lot. Several pieces of it had come off during the crash and damaged other cars.
“It was almost like shrapnel,” McConnaha said.
As McConnaha headed outside, moments after directing another employee to call 911, he was surprised to see Idaho State Police already arriving. Officers swarmed the crashed vehicle with guns drawn, he said.
“It occurred to me this was probably more than a car wreck,” he said.
Several children were present at the time of the crash, McConnaha said. The adults on site attempted to shield them from seeing the aftermath of the crash.
It’s unclear if Skelton will face charges in Kootenai County related to the alleged theft at North 40 Outfitters or the pursuit.
The Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Idaho State Police are assisting the sheriff’s office with an investigation into the crash.