Man arrested after accident

SANDPOINT — A Post Falls man was arrested after allegedly causing head-on collision with another motorist on U.S. Highway 95 in Colburn early Saturday morning.

Corey Michael Cook is charged with aggravated driving under the influence and unlawful possession of alcohol. He made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Monday via video feed from the county jail on Monday.

Judge Lori Meulenberg sustained Cook’s $25,000 bail. Court records indicate Cook will retain private counsel.

The crash occurred shortly before 5 a.m. Cook told Idaho State Police he was driving south from an off-roading event in Moyie Springs when the crash happened. Cook told Idaho State Police Trooper Leslie Lehman that he did not know what caused the crash, a probable cause affidavit said.

Cook, 19, was injured in the crash, according to court documents. The motorist Cook is accused of running into was entrapped in the wreckage and flown to Kootenai Health in Life Flight Network helicopter after he was freed.

The other motorist suffered multiple fractures which required surgery, court documents indicate.

More than a dozen unopened or punctured beer cans were found in the bed of the Cook driven by Cook, the affidavit said. A bottle of Canadian whiskey was found wedged between two front seats, the affidavit further alleged.

Cook, the sole occupant of the full-size pickup, said the alcohol belonged to friends and that he had been serving as designated driver. Cook’s breath-alcohol content was measured at 0.14, which is nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 to drive.

A state trooper noted that there were no pre-collision skid marks left by Cook’s rig, while the northbound Ford Ranger left skid marks which indicated hard braking and an attempt at an evasive maneuver, court documents indicate.

Cook was charged with DUI at the felony level because the collision caused great bodily harm to the other motorist.

Cook has been charged twice with DUI in Kootenai County, although one of the cases was dismissed, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository. He was also prosecuted as a juvenile with possession of alcohol in Kootenai County.