Charges mulled in Clark Fork vehicle theft

CLARK FORK - Charges are pending against a Clark Fork man accused of stealing a Bonner County employee's car, fleeing into Montana and crashing it.

Cody Eugene Ford was airlifted from the scene and taken to Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene. His condition and whereabouts were not immediately available on Wednesday.

The county prosecutor's office said it is reviewing police reports in the matter, but a charging decision has not been made yet.

The theft occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on March 13 at the county's waste collection site off Highway 200 in Clark Fork. Site attendant Kelly Kingsley said he had just opened the facility and was ferrying supplies and files from his Geo Tracker into the site's office.

“Lo and behold I heard the engine start and looked out there and the headlights were on. And all of a sudden the car took off,” Kingsley said on Tuesday.

Ford, 18, allegedly rallied the vehicle recklessly through the Lightning Creek Trailer Park and Clark Fork city streets before speeding off east into Montana. He made it about 12 miles past the state line before crashing Kingsley's rig, according to a Bonner County Sheriff's report.

Kingsley was giving his report to the deputy when word of the crash was broadcast over the police radio. Kingsley said Ford reportedly rolled the compact sport utility vehicle end over end several times.

“The cops said that he must have been going probably a hundred miles an hour when he left the roadway,” said Kingsley.