Sandpoint woman dies following Monday traffic accident

A Sandpoint woman has died from injuries sustained in a traffic accident Monday, the Idaho State Police reported. Judith Linker, 69, died Wednesday afternoon at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane after a deer went through her windshield during the accident, the ISP said. Keith Nicholas, 37, of Libby, Mont., was driving east on U.S. Highway 2 near Dover around 11:15 a.m. Monday when a deer stepped onto the road. Nicholas hit the deer, which flew into the westbound lane and went through the windshield of Linker’s 2009 Toyota XB Scion. Linker’s car crossed the oncoming lanes, went off the south shoulder, severed a high-tension power pole, went through a creek, then stopped on the opposite bank, an ISP news release said. Nicholas was able to stop his 1995 Ford Explorer and was not injured. Linker was airlifted to Sacred Heart. Both were wearing seat belts.