Briefly

Motorcyclist dies in crash

A 43-year-old man who died Monday evening in a motorcycle accident has been identified as Wallace Eugene Mayo Jr. of Rathdrum.

He was northbound on Highway 41 near Rathdrum on his 1982 Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he slowed to make a turn, according to the Idaho State Police. Mayo’s motorcycle was reportedly not equipped with turn signals.

Another northbound driver, Duane A. Kuykendall, 45, of Spirit Lake, swerved left to avoid a collision with the motorcycle. According to the ISP, Mayo turned his bike left at the same time.

The pickup struck the motorcycle, the ISP said, Mayo was ejected and the motorcycle was dragged beneath Kuykendall’s Ford F350 flatbed pickup. When the truck stopped, the motorcycle reportedly caught fire.

Mayo was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said Kuykendall was uninjured.

Teen who died identified

A 16-year-old found dead at his parents’ home Sunday in Athol has been identified as Douglas L. Delano Jr., according to a statement from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department.

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the death, but toxicology results will not be available for at least two weeks, said Sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger. “Suicide is not a factor,” he added.

An autopsy was performed Tuesday morning and no obvious causes of death or trauma were discovered, Wolfinger said. The boy was found dead in an outbuilding on his parents’ property Sunday morning after spending the night in the building with a friend. The boy’s mother made the discovery, Wolfinger said.

Man’s death investigated

Bonners Ferry, Idaho Boundary County Sheriff’s Department investigators continue to search for clues in the recent death of a 60-year-old Spokane Valley man.

Darrold John Johnston was found Friday morning in a wooded area near Moyie Springs, near the Idaho-Montana border. He had been camping in his pickup truck with a friend on private property, said Det. Mike Naumann.

An autopsy was performed Monday. “According to results we have so far, we can pretty much rule out foul play. … There’s no evidence of suicide,” Naumann said. “We’re still investigating.”

Results from toxicology tests will not be available for another month. Investigators are also looking into the possibility of natural causes, such as a weak heart or other pre-existing medical conditions, Naumann said.

Johnston’s body was found near County Road 74 by a neighbor.

Officer defuses standoff

A Coeur d’Alene Police officer peacefully defused a standoff Monday night with a man demanding to be shot, according to a police report.

When Officer Tim Hanna responded to a domestic dispute at 762 Red Fir Lane in Coeur d’Alene shortly before midnight, he spotted a man on the front porch waving a butcher knife in each hand. The man, 24-year-old Benjamin L. Otter, was shouting, “Shoot me! … Shoot me!” according to the report.

A woman at the residence “constantly shadowed” Otter’s movements to stay between him and the police officer, according to the report. Hanna, a recent police academy graduate, called for backup and tried to calm the man until other officers could arrive with an electronic stun gun. At one point Otter advanced within 15 feet, but the officer was able to retreat behind the cover of a nearby truck, police reported.

Eventually, more officers arrived and Otter threw both knives to the ground. After a brief struggle, Otter stopped resisting and was taken to Kootenai Medical Center for an examination.

Paramedics were also on-scene to treat Otter’s stepfather, who had been bitten earlier by Otter.

Otter has been charged with two counts of battery and one count each of domestic battery and aggravated assault. He is being held at the Kootenai County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Christie Wood credited Hanna for remaining calm during the standoff.

“He showed great restraint,” Wood said.

ISP responds to I-90 crashes

The Idaho State Police responded to two separate accidents on Interstate 90 in the Silver Valley on Monday evening.

A 43-year-old Spokane woman was reportedly injured when she lost control of her 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier on the wet pavement of I-90 near Pinehurst, according to the ISP. Donna Marie Holzer was traveling east about 5:22 p.m. when she reportedly lost control of the car and it overturned in the median.

Police reports said Holzer was injured and transported to Shoshone Medical Center. The hospital said they had no record of her even coming to the hospital, however, and the ISP officers investigating the accident were unavailable Tuesday to confirm whether Holzer was injured. Holzer was cited to failure to stay in her lane, the ISP said.

The ISP responded to a second accident just more than two hours later. Stanley E. Lour, 61, of Spokane was westbound on I-90 near Wallace in a 2003 Ford Focus when he attempted to pass a semi-truck driven by Richard A. Seaderberg of Baudette, Minn., according to the ISP.

Lour reportedly drove into the median and then spun into the semi. He was treated and released from Shoshone Medical Center, the ISP said.

Walk Saturday to aid kidney disease

North Idaho’s polycystic kidney disease support organization will hold its second annual Walk for a Cure in Coeur d’Alene Saturday.

Participants will meet at Independence Point at 9 a.m. to register for the 2 1/2-mile walk, which starts at 10. It costs $15 to register before Saturday and $20 the day of the walk. Registration forms are available online at www.pkdcure.org.

Polycystic kidney disease is the most life-threatening genetic disease known. It affects twice as many people as multiple sclerosis and 20 times more than cystic fibrosis. For more information on Saturday’s walk, call 762-5939.

Puckett named school trustee

Athol’s Barbara Puckett has been appointed a trustee for the Lakeland School District.

Puckett will represent Zone 2 of the district, which includes the Athol and Bayview areas, the district announced Tuesday. She will serve the remainder of the term formerly held by Gary MacDonald. The term expires in 2005.

MacDonald resigned from the school board after 14 years because of family business responsibilities.

Puckett has lived in Athol for 18 years. She has volunteered at Lakeland schools and as secretary-treasurer of the Timberlake Junior Tackle Football Program. For the past six years, Puckett has served as Athol’s postmaster.