Hearing reset in felony assault case

COCOLALLA — Negotiations are underway in the case of a Dalton Gardens man accused of threatening to crash into an off-duty Idaho State Police detective during a traffic incident on U.S. Highway 95.

A preliminary hearing Benjamin Ray Fox's case was postponed on Wednesday due to the ongoing negotiations, according to court documents. The hearing was reset for Wednesday, April 7.

Fox, 40, is charged with aggravated assault, a felony. He also faces misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, failing to report a crash and leaving the scene of a collision. He is free on a $15,000 surety bond while the case is pending in Bonner County Magistrate Court, records show.

An off-duty state police detective driving northbound on the highway witnessed Fox lose control of his pickup truck near Southside School Road and crash into two sections of barbwire fence on Feb. 19, according to an arrest affidavit. Fox allegedly drove off after the collision, prompting Det. Leslie Lehman to follow Fox to the Westmond Store.

When Lehman attempted to confront Fox about the crash, Fox made an obscene hand gesture at her, put his 2016 Dodge into reverse and attempted to crash into her vehicle, the affidavit alleges. Lehman was able to maneuver out of harm's way and Fox fled southbound on U.S. 95.

Another trooper encountered Fox pulled over one the side of the highway in Athol and Fox was apprehended without further incident at gunpoint, the arrest report said. Neither drugs nor alcohol factored into the incident and there is no indication in court documents why Fox acted with alleged animosity during the episode.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and followed on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.