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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Second Teenager Dies In Crash That Killed Driver, Injured Two

A second teenage boy has died from injuries suffered Friday when a car he was riding in slammed into a tree south of Harrison.

Edward G. Leonard, 17, died at Kootenai Medical Center early Saturday from chest injuries sustained in the crash.

Fellow passenger Nicholas Perea, 15, remains in critical condition. Passenger Gabe Lamb, 15, was treated and released from Benewah Community Hospital.

The driver of the 1983 Toyota Corolla, 15-year-old Miles Jones of Medimont, died Friday afternoon after he lost control of his car near the junction of U.S. 97 and Idaho Highway 3 at about 3:30 p.m.

Harrison residents say the car went over an embankment, apparently after failing to negotiate a well-traveled but dangerous curve on Ogara Road.

“It is so sharp that if you go much over the 30-mph speed limit, you’re going to have trouble,” said Donald Heikila, a driver’s education instructor at Kootenai High School. “There have been a number of accidents there. It’s treacherous.”

The deaths have rattled residents of the tiny town at the south end of Lake Coeur d’Alene - a place so close-knit that most students attend the same church youth group functions.

In fact, a few dozen students already have visited the local Baptist parson’s home, where school counselors were waiting to talk to grieving children.

Similar efforts will be made Monday at school.

“We’ll have a staff meeting first thing Monday morning to talk about what we’re going to do throughout the day,” counselor Kevin Kincheloe said. “Emotionally, some of the kids aren’t going to be able to do their school work.”

School officials said both boys were well-liked.

Jones, a sophomore, recently had moved to the region from Seattle, but was adapting well.

“He was a real neat kid,” Kincheloe said. “We’re a small school, and kids are real good at accepting newcomers.”

Heikila described Edward, a junior, as bright and sensitive.

“He was always gregarious, he liked people,” Heikila said. “He was a good student. You couldn’t say anything bad about him.”

, DataTimes MEMO: IDAHO HEADLINE: Second teen dies of injuries from Friday car accident

IDAHO HEADLINE: Second teen dies of injuries from Friday car accident