23-Year-Old Struck in Coeur d’Alene Crosswalk; Suspect Faces Felony Hit-and-Run

A 23-year-old Coeur d’Alene man who was struck by a pickup truck while in a marked crosswalk near the Coeur d’Alene Public Golf Course is recovering after surgery, and a 34-year-old man has been arrested on felony hit-and-run charges, police and court records show.

Nouisa Gutierrez was walking home from his job as a cart and bag boy at Fred Meyer when a blue 1999 Ford F150 struck him in the crosswalk near Ramsey and Golf Course Road on Monday evening. Family members say witnesses followed the truck from the scene, reported the license plate to police, and helped officers identify the vehicle. Gutierrez suffered a broken femur that required surgery and was treated at Kootenai County Medical Center; family members reported he was home resting Thursday but needs continued monitoring.

Family statements posted on a fundraising page described the collision and aftermath in stark terms. “Nouisa Gutierrez, 23, was in the middle of a crosswalk when a pickup truck hit him at high speed and dragged him down the road,” the post reads. “The driver didn’t stop, left him lying alone on the road, injured. His femur snapped, and he needed surgery.” A later family update added, “He is making progress day by day, staying strong, and fighting through the excruciating pain with so much courage.”

Coeur d’Alene police located and arrested Lance Thomas Prince at the Coeur d’Alene RV Resort on Mullan Avenue, just west of Walmart, and booked him in the Kootenai County jail. Sgt. Jared Reneau said, “Officers were able to locate the suspect and arrested him on hit-and-run charges.” Court records cited by authorities indicate Prince admitted to accidentally hitting Gutierrez and fleeing “due to him being fearful.” Prince faces a felony hit-and-run charge punishable by up to five years in prison and a charge of driving without privileges due to a suspended license for lack of insurance, according to the charging summary reported by court records.

Separately, the Associated Press reported a different Coeur d’Alene hit-and-run in which 45-year-old Rodney Russell was found critically injured early Sunday morning on the side of a street. Investigators believe Russell was walking when he was struck and that the motorist did not stop. Authorities said a full-size SUV or pickup may have been involved and no arrest had been reported in that case.

Two hit-and-run incidents within the same week underline questions about pedestrian safety and enforcement in Kootenai County neighborhoods where people routinely walk to jobs and stores. The Gutierrez case will move into the Kootenai County District Court system, where charging documents, arraignment details and any bail determinations will be posted. Police say the community’s eyewitness reporting helped produce an arrest; families and local leaders may push for clearer crossings, stronger enforcement of driving privileges and more attention to traffic safety near high-foot-traffic corridors as the legal process unfolds.