Sunday, January 19, 2025
10.0°F

Trial set in fatal car crash case

KEITH KINNAIRD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 7 months AGO
by KEITH KINNAIRD
News Editor | May 29, 2016 1:00 AM

SANDPOINT — No pretrial resolution has been reached in a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter case pending against a Post Falls man.

Alexander Craig Hjelt’s two-day jury trial in Bonner County Magistrate Court is set to start on June 30. Pretrial negotiations have already put off the trial once, although no resolution was announced during a pretrial conference on Friday, court records show.

Hjelt, 31, is charged at the misdemeanor level in connection with a crash on U.S. Highway 95 which accidentally killed Kathleen L. Ginter on June 2, 2015.

Idaho State Police said Hjelt was northbound when he failed to notice in time that traffic ahead of him had stopped. The Chevrolet Silverado Hjelt was driving collided into the rear of a Ginter’s Saturn sedan, which sent it into the southbound lane of travel and into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Ginter, 60, was fatally injured in the collision. None of the other motorists involved were seriously injured, according to a police report.

Hjelt told a trooper he was listening to music and taking in the scenery along the highway when he realized too late that traffic ahead of him had stopped so another motorist could turn onto West Elmira Road.

Hjlet said he took evasive action to try and avoid the collision, but was unable to.

A criminal complaint in the case states that Hjelt was driving in an careless and imprudent manner, in addition to traveling above the 60 mph speed limit. The complaint further alleges that Hjelt that rate of travel was imprudent or unreasonable given highway conditions.

Hjelt pleaded not guilty to the charge and is free on his own recognizance while the case is pending, court records show.

MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Suit filed over deadly crash
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 8 years, 9 months ago
Trial set for manslaughter suspect
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 11 years, 4 months ago
Defense probing deadly Highway 95 accident
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 11 years, 8 months ago

ARTICLES BY KEITH KINNAIRD

March 7, 2010 11 p.m.

Revett seeks clarity on Rock Creek mine status

A status conference is pending in federal court to determine if developers of the proposed Rock Creek mine can initiate development of the project.

December 31, 2008 11 p.m.

Former pastor imprisoned for touching young girl

SANDPOINT, Idaho — A district judge declined to go along with a plea agreement which proposed a limited jail sentence for a former pastor who pleaded guilty to fondling a Priest Lake girl several years ago.

Judge orders life sentence in Bristow murder
April 21, 2021 1 a.m.

Judge orders life sentence in Bristow murder

Acosta ordered to serve life in prison for Bristow killing