COEUR d'ALENE - A 20-year-old Filer man has been charged with reckless driving stemming from a car chase that preceded a fatal accident for two Coeur d'Alene teenagers near Twin Falls.

Kade D. Laughlin faces up to six months in jail and $1,000 in fines if he is convicted of the misdemeanor offense.

Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs said Wednesday that the charge, filed May 5, is related to the Sept. 12, 2010, single-car accident off 3900 N Road in Twin Falls County that took the lives of Coeur d'Alene High School graduates and College of Southern Idaho students Ryan Reinhardt, 18, and Devon Austin, 19.

Reinhardt, the driver of the vehicle, crashed the car off the rural road around 1 a.m.

The accident's lone survivor, Jessica Duran, 19, identified Laughlin as an acquaintance from school who chased the Coeur d'Alene teenagers as they left Laughlin's party.

Her identification led to Laughlin's arrest for driving under the influence later that morning, according to Twin Falls County Sheriff's reports. Loebs said the ensuing eight-month investigation led to the reckless driving charge.

"It has to do with the driving that (Laughlin) was engaged in before (Reinhardt) had the accident," Loebs said. "At some point he was chasing them."

The court file is closed pending further investigation. Laughlin's preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 21.

Laughlin was ordered to pay $582.50 in fines March 8 after pleading guilty to driving under the influence. He also was ordered to do a work program in lieu of two days in jail to finish a suspended sentence, placed on supervised probation, and had his driver's license suspended for 180 days.

According to Twin Falls County Sheriff's reports, Laughlin drove his Ford F150 pickup truck with three friends - Ryan Balles, Nathan Karel and Brook Bishop - in pursuit of Reinhardt's vehicle at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

Laughlin told deputies he was chasing them because they stole something leaving his party. Duran, in an interview with The Press in February, said the items were plastic cups. Both Duran and Laughlin, according to the interview and deputy reports, said that Laughlin tried to get Reinhardt's Toyota Camry to stop by pulling up beside it and in front of it before slowing down. Text messages sent by Austin to a friend minutes before the accident said Reinhardt's car reached 100 mph.

Loebs said Laughlin did not see the accident, which occurred as the road curved toward an entrance to Highway 30, either because Laughlin had "slowed, stopped," or Reinhardt's speed "was so much in excess of (Laughlin's) that they got away."

Duran's interview disputed that, saying she saw the truck's headlights behind them.

Loebs said Laughlin's vehicle came upon the accident afterward, but did not report it. At least one other vehicle was at the scene by the time Laughlin drove past it, Loebs said.

The North Idaho teenagers were thrown from the vehicle. Neither were wearing seat belts.

The wrecked car was "on its wheels with the lights on" when Laughlin spotted it, Loebs said. It does not classify as leaving the scene of an accident violation, according to Idaho law, because Laughlin was not involved in the accident, Loebs said.

The families of Reinhardt and Austin declined to comment Wednesday.

R. Keith Roark, Laughlin's listed attorney, could not be reached Wednesday.

Laughlin was also charged April 25 for unlawful purchase of alcohol by a minor.

That case is still open. Loebs said that if convicted, the offense would likely violate Laughlin's supervised probation from the DUI.

Duran, Austin and Reinhardt were athletes at Coeur d'Alene High School. Austin, who had been drafted by the Chicago Cubs last year, was at CSI, in Twin Falls, on a baseball scholarship.