Deal may be near in case

SANDPOINT — Plea negotiations appear to be underway in the case of a Cocolalla woman accused of accidentally killing her daughter in a crash on Bayview Road earlier this year.

However, Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Roger Hanlon advised defense counsel for Brittney Danielle Bullock during a pretrial conference on Friday that he has no intention of reducing the misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge pending in the case.

Hanlon said during the hearing that he is open to discussing sentencing recommendations if Bullock pleads guilty as charged. Hanlon said the state may also drop a charge of misdemeanor injury to child in connection with another daughter who survived the Sept. 6 single-vehicle crash.

The former charge concerns the death of her 6-year-old daughter, while the latter charge addresses injuries to her 11-year-old daughter.

Idaho State Police said Bullock was westbound when she lost control of the 1998 Honda Accord she was driving and slid off the paved but wet roadway. The sedan skidded over roadside logging slash and its passenger side collided with a stand of trees, which ruptured its passenger compartment, an Idaho State Police report said.

The vehicle rotated 180 degrees clockwise and crashed into another tree, the report said.

Bullock’s 6-year-old daughter, who was in the vehicle’s backseat, was thrown from the wreckage, resulting in fatal injuries, court documents indicate. Bullock’s 11-year-old daughter was seriously injured in the collision and flown to Kootenai Health for treatment.

State police contend nobody in the vehicle was wearing seat belts or safety restraints. Moreover, the tires on the front-wheel drive car were balding, according to the tires’ built-in tread wear indicator bars, the state police report said.

Bullock, 29, told state police she was driving 25-30 mph, although a trooper doubted that estimate because it would have not been fast enough to split the vehicle open, court records indicate.

Hanlon further advised the defense that an amended criminal complaint will be filed, which is expected to provide greater specificity about the allegations sustaining the manslaughter charge.