A woman has been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in connection with a Kootenai County crash that occurred on Wednesday, May 5.
According to the details shared by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, the accident took place on Meyer Road. It involved two vehicles, one of which was identified as GMC Acadia. The other vehicle was a Ford Escape.
The GMC Acadia was headed northbound on the Meyer Road at the time of the accident. The Ford Escape was traveling in the opposite direction along the southbound lanes of the road. As the two vehicles drew close, the driver of the Acadia drove across the center line. This brought the vehicle directly into the path of the Ford Escape.
The two vehicles collided with each other at a high rate of speed. The sheer impact of the collision caused critical, life-threatening injuries to the driver of the Ford Escape. She was identified only as a Coeur d’Alene woman aged 50.
Once the first responders and paramedics arrived on the scene of the Kootenai County crash, the woman was transported via air ambulance to the Kootenai Hospital.
The driver of the GMC Acadia suffered relatively minor injuries in the collision. She was identified by the Sheriff’s Office as Corina Larabee, 36, of north Idaho. Larabee was provided basic medical treatment at the crash scene. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office then took her into custody. The formal charges brought against her include aggravated DUI.
Aggravated DUI is a felony offense in the state of Idaho. Penalties for the offense include a prison sentence of up to 15 years, a fine of up to $5,000, license suspension, mandatory ignition interlock installation and more.
It is possible for a person charged with aggravated DUI to plead for lower penalties by consulting a Boise felony DUI attorney and exploring various available options.