Goullette trial date postponed

SANDPOINT — A trial date is being pushed back for a Bonner County man accused of accidentally killing one pedestrian and injuring another with his pickup truck.

Peter Franklin Goullette’s trial on a felony charge of vehicular manslaughter and a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving has been reset for April 10, 2018. A pretrial conference is set for March 23, 2018.

Goullette was slated to stand trial next month, but the proceeding was postponed because Goullette has obtained new defense counsel, according to court documents. Sandpoint attorney Michael Waldrup filed a notice of appearance in the case on Monday.

Goullette, 24, fatally struck Katherine K. Stelzer and seriously injured Zualita Updike as the pair walked along McGhee Road in Ponderay on June 30, 2016. Stelzer, a 61-year-old Mead, Wash., resident, and Updike, 50, of Clark Fork, were on a break from their jobs at Litehouse Foods.

Goullette was ordered in July to stand trial after witnesses testified at a preliminary hearing that he was speeding down the road at the time of the collision and on prior occasions as well. One motorist who crossed paths with Goullette also testified that he did not appear to have his eyes on the road.

An Idaho State Police trooper testified that a post-crash reconstruction analysis concluded that the pre-collision speed of the pickup was 43 mph and the area-of-impact collision speed was estimated at 35 mph, which is 10 miles faster than the posted speed limit.

Goullette invoked his right to remain silent during the hearing. Judge Justin Julian ruled that it was more likely than not that Goullette was exceeding the speed limit and driving inattentively.

Goullette entered pleas of not guilty in August.

If convicted of the manslaughter charge, Goullette faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to Idaho Code.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.