Damages sought over fatal accident on U.S. 2

SANDPOINT — A Priest River woman injured in a crash which claimed the life of a Bonner County Road & Bridge worker is seeking more than $100,000 in damages from the county for injuries she sustained in the collision.

The crash happened on U.S. Highway 2 west of Dover on the morning of Jan. 30.

Idaho State Police said John E. Hanson was driving westbound in a county pickup truck when he crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a Dodge Durango driven by Jennifer Marie Gibson

Hanson, a 61-year-old from Colburn, was killed in the collision, which caused the GMC pickup he was driving to burst into flames.

Idaho State Police said it was unclear if Hanson was wearing a seat belt.

State police said Gibson, 26, suffered unspecified injuries and was taken to Bonner General Hospital for treatment. She was wearing a seat belt when Hanson crashed into her sport utility vehicle, according to an ISP news release issued following the incident.

Gibson’s counsel, Sandpoint attorney Joseph Jarzabek, said in the tort claim she sustained injuries to her right side and both feet. Jarzabek said in the claim he was still awaiting an investigative report from ISP.

The claim was filed on Tuesday.

Pamela Allen, the county’s director of Risk Management, said on Wednesday that the county has no comment on the claim. If the county decides to reject the claim, Gibson would be free to pursue damages via litigation in 1st District Court.

Bonner County Commissioner Lewis Rich has said that Hanson had been a county employee since 1992. Hanson was apparently following another employee, who was hauling a lowboy trailer, back to the county’s District 3 shop in Priest River when the crash happened.

The crash occurred near the Carr Creek Road turnoff.