Alcohol believed to be a factor in pickup-train crash

The driver of a pickup is believed to have been drinking alcohol when he drove through a stop sign and into the path of train 11:40 a.m. Wednesday on Meadow Creek Road, police said.

Idaho State Police Senior Trooper Dustin Kralik told The Herald the driver admitted to drinking alcohol before he was taken to Boundary Community Hospital in Bonners Ferry. A beer can was found in the pickup, Kralik said.

The driver was seriously injured, while his passenger suffered minor injuries, he said.

Kralik did not have the driver’s name to identify him for The Herald. The passenger was identified as Michael James Harris II, 22, of Eastport. The truck they were driving had 9B license plates, which means it is registered in Boundary County.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, one of the occupants of the truck was being evaluated and in stable condition BCH, said Craig Johnson, chief executive and financial officer for hospital. The other occupant refused treatment. Johnson unable to identify which person was in stable condition, noting he would more than likely be released from the hospital.

There is a stop sign for the Union-Pacific rail-line where the crash occurred. The driver of the truck was northbound about 10 miles north of U.S. Highway 2.

“From what I was told, he failed to stop and hit the engine,” Kralik said.

The train pushed the pickup about 30 feet.

Kralik did not know how fast the train was going.