Probe continues into crash

SANDPOINT — Idaho State Police released no further information Tuesday following a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 95 which killed one man and seriously injured another.

The lone survivor of the Monday collision, Jayme Ruben Shottanana, was listed in fair condition at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday, hospital spokeswoman Paula Davenport said. Shottanana, 27, of Bonners Ferry, was incorrectly identified by witnesses at the scene of the crash as a woman.

The crash near Beak’s Roadhouse in Careywood claimed the life of Michael Lee Johns, a 43-year-old from Athol. The crash happened at about 5:15 p.m. and forced the closure of U.S. 95 for more than two hours.

State police have not divulged which directions Shottanana and Johns were headed when they crashed into one another. State police said alcohol was a factor in the collision, but did not elaborate.

Johns was driving a Dodge Intrepid, a full-size sedan.

Shottanana was driving a Jeep Liberty, a compact sport utility vehicle. Neither vehicle had any passengers and only Shottanana was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Both motorists have prior drunken-driving convictions, according to the Idaho Supreme Court data repository.

Shottanana was cited in Boundary County in May for driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, the online repository states. He entered pleas of guilty to all three charges and was sentenced to 180 days on DUI charge 90 days on the drug possession charge.

All but 10 days of the DUI sentence and two days of the drug possession sentence were suspended. The paraphernalia charge was dismissed by the prosecution.

Shottanana was issued a temporary restricted license in September.

Johns was charged in Kootenai County in 1999 with excessive DUI, according to the repository.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail with 28 days suspended.