Thanksgiving Day hit-and-run crash reported

SAGLE — An alleged hit-and-run accident in Sagle resulted in multiple 911 calls and a three-wheeled car driving down U.S. 95 on the night of Thanksgiving.

Law enforcement officers were dispatched when a Sagle man called to report a hit and run accident outside his residence at approximately 8:30 p.m. Thursday. According to court documents, he told dispatch a pickup involved had left the scene, headed toward U.S. 95 and appeared to be missing a wheel.

The driver of the other vehicle involved later told deputies that the pickup had veered into her lane and struck her vehicle before leaving the scene, according to court documents.

Before law enforcement arrived at the scene of the accident, court documents said they received a report from dispatch that another caller had just described a pickup pulling into the Sagle Conoco gas station that appeared to have been in a “serious accident” and was on fire.

Bonner County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the gas station, according to court documents, and made contact with the vehicle’s driver.

Jeffrey Merkeley, 70, of Bayview, allegedly told deputies that he had been at a dinner and was driving home when he believed he had fallen asleep at the wheel and struck the bridge over the slough on Bottle Bay Road.

When asked by officers why he had chosen to drive 2.6 miles to the Conoco gas station rather than stay at the scene of the accident, he allegedly told deputies that he was looking for a place to pull over and knew there was an area he could stop at the gas station.

When asked if he knew how bad the damage to his vehicle was, Merkeley allegedly told deputies that he had not realized the extent of the damage. When deputies asked if he believed another car was involved in the accident, he allegedly told deputies he was not sure what he had hit. Due to Merkeley being in a crash, he was given a patient evaluation by EMS.

According to court documents, deputies reported that Merkeley’s eyes were allegedly bloodshot and glassy and he smelled like alcohol. Merkeley allegedly said he had a couple glasses of wine at dinner but blood alcohol content tests showed his levels were below the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Deputies told Merkeley that another vehicle had been involved in the accident, according to court documents. While Merkeley expressed concern for the occupants of the other vehicle, he maintained that he had not realized another vehicle was involved and allegedly said he left the scene due to his state of shock.

Merkeley was cited for leaving the scene of a crash and his insurance information was passed along to the other driver involved in the incident by law enforcement.