Alcohol pointed to in fatal boat launch crash

Investigators think alcohol intoxication contibuted to a fatal crash Saturday when a vehicle went into the water at the Honeysuckle Boat Launch in Hayden.

An autopsy was performed Tuesday on Christopher Lancaster, 34, of Spokane Valley, according to a news release from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

Lancaster died when the vehicle investigators believe he was driving went into the lake.

“Investigators believe alcohol intoxication was likely a factor and are expecting the final autopsy reports, including a toxicology screen, in four to six weeks,” said the release.

The crash is being investigated by the Kootenai County sheriff’s traffic team and the county coroner’s office.

The survivor of the crash, Andrea Berkey, was released from the hospital with only minor injuries.

Prior to this incident, there have been two vehicle crashes into the water at Honeysuckle Boat Launch in the past 12 years, with one being a fatality. Both occurred in 2011 and alcohol intoxication was determined to be the primary cause of these two other crashes, the sheriff’s office reported.

The investigation is ongoing.