Life Flight called on accidents north of town

BONNERS FERRY — As Boundary County Sheriff’s Office and Boundary Volunteer Ambulance EMTs were responding to a single motorcycle crash north of Bonners Ferry Aug. 18, a second crash was reported at milepost 513 north of Bonners Ferry, near Hooten Hollow.

According to ISP reports, Reece C. Bell, 14, was southbound in a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu with Anthony Minor, 14, and Travis Hinthorn, 42. Hinthorn is a teacher at Boundary County Middle School and contracts for Driver’s Education through the school district.

Garrett E. Graupner, 49, was northbound in a 2002 Toyota pickup with Phinehas Graupner, 9, when the two vehicles collided in a head-on collision, ISP reports state.

Graupner is the pastor at Mountain Springs Church in Bonners Ferry. The crash is still under investigation.

Injuries were sustained by the victims in both crashes, ISP reports.

According to Ken Baker from Boundary Volunteer Ambulance, life flight helicopters came from Sandpoint, Spokane and as far away as Pullman to pick up the victims. The first helicopter en route to the motorcycle crash was reassigned to pick up the most critical underage victim of the head-on collision. With the motorcycle victim stabilized by BVA, the second helicopter was also assigned to the head-on collision.

North Bench fire responded to the scene, along with two other fire departments and three ambulances. With BVA’s extrication unit inaccessible at Station 1, the Bonners Ferry Fire Department was called for extrication on the head-on collision.

“It was a chaotic scene,” BFFD Chief Pat Warkentin told the City Council Aug. 19. Even though the accident scene was outside the jurisdiction of City Fire’s extrication team, “they needed that unit and right now,” Warkentin said.

The extrication team had to cut the ‘B’ pillar out of the Malibu, and remove a door in order to free the trapped passengers, Warkentin said.

With no formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) in place for fire districts north of town, Warkentin felt it took too long to mobilize the necessary units to respond to the scene.

He called for a review of mutual aid policies throughout Boundary County.

“We did some good up there, and we weren’t the only ones,” Warkentin said.

Minor and both Graupners were transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Hinthorn and Bell were transported to Boundary Community Hospital.

According to reports, victims are stable at this point but some will require surgery or extended hospitalization.