Driver tries to hit road worker

A driver apparently upset about construction delays at a busy Coeur d’Alene intersection tried to run over a flagger three times Thursday, police said.

Installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Kathleen Avenue and Atlas Road has resulted in average waits of 10 minutes or longer, according to City Inspector Dennis Grant.

Flagger Jamie Ward was working just after 6 p.m. Thursday when a man in a black Ford Bronco began cursing at her, she told police. She said he was upset about having to wait.

He allegedly called Ward a “crazy bitch” and threatened to run her over, according to police reports.

Ward told police the man cut through the driveway of an espresso stand business and came driving at her. She told police he swerved at her and tried to hit her, forcing her to run from the road.

She said the man returned to the line of traffic, then pulled back through the coffee business’ driveway and again came at her.

When she got word to let the stopped traffic go through, the man’s car was facing the wrong direction. She told police he backed up and again tried to hit her.

The man was described as skinny and white, with short brown hair and long sideburns, driving a “primer black” Ford Bronco with the top off and large mud tires.

Coeur d’Alene Police Lt. Jay Heintz said witnesses provided police with three possible license plate numbers, but none matched a Ford Bronco or similar vehicle. Heintz said investigators are trying to run different combinations of the plate numbers for a possible match.

Thursday’s incident was the first complaint police received about disgruntled drivers at that intersection, Heintz said.

Work at the intersection is expected to continue for at least the next couple of weeks, Grant said.

As crews put down the first layer of asphalt at the intersection on Friday afternoon, Grant said some drivers had to wait as long as 25 minutes.

He said waits at the intersection will likely only be that long when crews are paving. They were supposed to be finished with the initial paving on Friday, he said.

Grant said there will be work on pedestrian ramps and swales at the intersection on Tuesday and Wednesday, which shouldn’t interfere as much with traffic.

Drivers should expect delays again later in the week, Grant said, when crews are expected to put down another layer of asphalt.

“That will probably raise tempers again,” he said.