Coeur d'Alene attorney Rollie Watson started Election Day with a bang. Nah, he wasn't shooting off that cannon that caused a hubbub with neighbors several years ago. He and his green 1999 Porsche got up close and personal with one of the trees in the median along Government Way, near the Kootenai County Courthouse. Seems Rollie, Sheriff Rocky Watson's brother, was eastbound on Garden Avenue, alongside the old part of the courthouse, when he attempted a lefthand turn to head north on Government Way. What happened next is anyone's guess. Rollie told CPD Blue Rory Johnson that he'd made a required stop and then punched the gas pedal to avoid being hit by a southbound vehicle speeding along Government Way. He said his accelerator stuck, he lost control – and the rest was his-story. And her-story? Donna Fuller, the driver of the second car, said she thought Rollie had possibly run the stop sign and was going "pretty fast." She told Officer Johnson that she "laid on the horn" and almost hit Rollie's Porsche. In the rearview mirror, she saw Rollie's car jump the curb and hit the tree. Rollie suffered a head scrape for his troubles. But nothing more. Officer Johnson didn't cite anyone as a result of the inconsistencies in the two stories. Watson, however, was admonished to keep his vehicle in good working order. The courthouse, of course, was buzzing about the mishap. Magistrate Benjamin Simpson knew about the crash by the time he convened a conference call with Watson later. Tongue firmly cheeked, the judge suggested that Watson change his vanity plate from "HATCHET" to "SPLITTING MALL" in memory of the tree Rollie splintered.

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