ATV crash near Coeur d'Alene leaves one dead, one injured

A missed turn on Forest Service Road 209 sent an ATV over a cliff near Horsehaven Airstrip east of Coeur d’Alene, killing one adult and leaving another hospitalized in serious condition. Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue responded to the wreck around 9:30 p.m. Saturday in the Coeur d’Alene National Forest.

Investigators said the driver failed to maneuver the turn and the vehicle went down a cliff. The sheriff’s office believed alcohol and illegal drug use were factors, and the names of the driver and passenger were not released in the initial reports. The crash turned a narrow stretch of forest road into a fatal drop, a reminder that speed, darkness and steep terrain can leave almost no margin for error.

Idaho’s off-highway vehicle rules spell out several precautions that matter on trails and roads alike. The Department of Parks and Recreation says riders under 18 must wear a DOT-approved helmet, and on city, county or other roads open to OHV use, riders need a restricted vehicle plate, an OHV permit sticker, a valid driver’s license and liability insurance. On federal or state land roads, riders under 16 may operate only when supervised by a licensed adult, and ATVs and UTVs can cross U.S. and state highways only at designated crossings or travel on certain roads with speed limits of 45 mph or less when allowed. The agency also recommends a brake light, headlight and taillight after dark, a horn and a rearview mirror.

State safety classes add the terrain piece riders need most in the hills above Kootenai County: pre-ride inspection, quick turns, hill riding, emergency stopping, swerving and riding over obstacles. The warning is not limited to one county. In a separate fatal crash on April 11 at Initial Point near Kuna, 76-year-old Michelle Driscoll died and another rider was flown to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, showing how fast a rollover on rocky ground can become deadly anywhere in Idaho.