Son of KCSO sergeant dies in I-90 collision
COEUR d’ALENE — The teenage son of a Kootenai County Sheriff's Office sergeant was killed Friday night in a two-car wreck on Interstate 90 in Coeur d'Alene.
Jacob Leeder, 16, a passenger in a vehicle driven by his brother, Jonah Leeder, 20, died at the scene.
Jonah was seriously injured in the wreck that occurred around 10:30 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the interstate at milepost 12.9, between the Fourth and 15th Street exits.
The crash took place, according to an Idaho State Police news release, after Jonah Leeder attempted to pass another vehicle while driving a 1995 Honda Acura eastbound. The Honda spun out of control and stalled perpendicular to oncoming eastbound traffic. Road conditions were slick and hazardous, covered in wet snow and heavy rain.
The vehicle the brothers were traveling in was then T-boned by a 2000 Chevy Silverado driven eastbound by William E. Swan, 45, of Coeur d'Alene. Swan was arrested at the scene for aggravated DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Randy Tetzner, of Coeur d'Alene, was one of the first to arrive at the wreck.
"I noticed a car sideways on the road with another car smacked into it," he said. "It completely obliterated the passenger side. The passenger side door was almost touching the driver."
Tetzner, who was traveling westbound with his son, stopped and ran across the roadway to help until emergency responders arrived. Three other drivers also stopped to assist.
Jonah was conscious, Tetzner said, but he could only say, "Help my brother."
"We wouldn't have known his brother was in the car if he hadn't said anything" because of the tinted windows and wreckage, Tetzner said.
"I want the parents to remember how brave the older son was. You could tell he was scared to death, but he was thinking of nothing else but his brother."
It is a heartbreaking tragedy, Tetzner said.
"Those other people who were there were very good people, wonderful humanitarians," he said. "That was an impossible situation, but everybody at that scene pitched in, risked their own life with semis coming, with body fluids, blood, doing mouth-to-mouth on this kid.
“All I did was hold an airway while he did mouth-to-mouth."
Jonah was transported to Kootenai Health and then Sacred Heart for surgery. All three individuals were wearing seat belts.
The KCSO Wives have set up a GoFundMe account for the Leeder family to help with medical bills and other expenses during their time of need.
"The Leeder family has given everything to our community. Their time, their love, their support and their selflessness," the page reads. "Let's rally around this precious family when they need it the most."
Coeur d'Alene School District communications director Scott Maben said the district's Crisis Activation Team will be at Coeur d'Alene High School when students return on Tuesday. Jacob was a sophomore at CHS.
"Counselors will be available to meet individually with students or staff if they feel they would like to speak with someone to help them with their grief," Maben said. "They will put counselors out there as soon as possible to meet with anyone who is struggling, trying to process their emotions or just understand what happened."
Love and prayers began pouring in for the family when the news was released Saturday.
"Prayers for the immediate family and extended family at CdA High School and Kootenai Sheriff’s Dept. #HitsHard,” former school board trustee Christa Hazel posted on Twitter.
Info: www.gofundme.com/4xp1na8