Man dies from crash injuries

SANDPOINT — Icy road conditions were partly to blame for Bonner County's first vehicular death in 2006, which claimed the life of a Sandpoint man.

Ronald Lee Collins, 54, who was in critical condition when he was ejected from his car after it rolled down an embankment on U.S. Highway 2 last week, died at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane Jan. 1.

According to Idaho State Police, Ronald Lee Collins, 54, was westbound on U.S. 2 about four miles from Dover around 4 a.m. on Dec. 30 when he attempted to pass another vehicle. ISP say Collins was not wearing a seat belt when his 1995 Chevy Blazer hit a patch of ice, spun across the roadway and rolled several times down an embankment.

Collins, who was ejected from his car during the crash, was flown by MedStar to Sacred Heart after he was first transported by ambulance to Bonner General Hospital.

An investigation into the crash is continuing.