In brief: Porch spares priest from serious injury

A Catholic priest narrowly escaped serious injury when a pickup hit his Coeur d’Alene home early Thursday morning, throwing him across the room.

The Rev. Roger LaChance, the pastor at St. Pius X Catholic Church, was sitting in a chair in his front room when the truck slammed into the home at Haycraft Avenue and Sixth Street about 12:30 a.m., said Coeur d’Alene police Lt. Dan Dixon.

“Had the porch not taken the brunt of the impact, he would have been more seriously injured,” Dixon said.

The driver of the pickup and his passenger were unconscious when police arrived. Both were taken to Kootenai Medical Center for treatment.

Dixon said the driver will be charged with DUI.

Peck, Idaho

Genesee man dies at scene of crash

A Genesee, Idaho, man died Thursday after a crash on Highway 12 near Peck, but it is believed he died from an unrelated medical emergency, according to an Idaho State Police report.

David W. Trail, 55, was driving a Ford pickup west on 12 when the truck crossed the centerline and careened off the side of the highway, landing on its side, the report states. He died at the scene, about 1:50 p.m.

The investigation is ongoing, but authorities believe the medical emergency caused the crash, according to the report.

Spokane

Going to election, and fatherhood

It’s been an eventful week for Spokane City Councilman Brad Stark.

On Tuesday, Stark, who is trying to keep his council seat, won enough votes in a four-way primary to advance to the November election.

On Wednesday, he became a father.

His wife, Katie, gave birth to an 8-pound 5-ounce boy Wednesday night at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

They named him Colin Elijah Stark.

Meanwhile, Stark advances to the Nov. 6 general election where he’ll face neighborhood activist Richard Rush, who was the top vote-getter in the primary.

Suspect who broke window sought

Police are looking for a 39-year-old man who allegedly threw a wooden, cable spool through an ex-girlfriend’s front window.

According to police, Blaine L. Bradford’s actions came after the woman locked him out of her home because she was angry about his drug use.

Bradford’s past convictions include robbery, assault, burglary, vehicle theft and possession of stolen property.

He is black, 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. His recent home addresses include 9817 E. Sixth Ave. and 3303 N. Madelia St.

Anyone with information about Bradford’s whereabouts is asked to call Secret Witness at (509) 327-5111.

Deer Park

Chased suspect jumps from bridge

Driving a red pickup south on Highway 395 on Thursday, tailed closely by sheriff’s deputies, a domestic violence suspect pulled over on the Wandermere Bridge.

As deputies looked on, he got out and jumped to his death.

About 15 minutes earlier, employees at the man’s office called 911 to report that he was arguing loudly with his wife. The man was a co-owner of the Deer Park bar and restaurant where they were arguing, according to a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The employees called police about 4:45 p.m. because of ongoing domestic issues between the spouses. When deputies arrived, the wife told them her husband had left the business, and she believed he was armed.

Deputies caught up with him as he drove past Monroe Road on Highway 395, according to the release. They tried to pull him over, but didn’t stop until reaching the 125-foot-high Wandermere Bridge, where he got out and jumped. Although the bridge crosses the Little Spokane River, he landed on the ground.

One southbound lane of Highway 395 was closed for several hours as sheriff’s major crimes detectives took over the investigation.

Seattle

Iraqi refugee wins compensation suit

The Justice Department has apologized and paid $250,000 to an Iraqi refugee wrongly detained in 2003 when he stepped off an Amtrak train in Montana to stretch his legs.

Abdul Habeeb, 41, of suburban Kent, spent eight days in custody before officials realized their mistake. They dropped deportation proceedings against him the following month, but Habeeb sued in 2005, seeking an apology and financial compensation – both of which he received, according to a settlement agreement released Thursday.

“You are an Iraqi who was admitted into the United States as a refugee,” Acting U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan in Seattle wrote in a June 13 letter to Habeeb. “You did nothing wrong. The United States of America regrets the mistake.”

Habeeb, an artist who says he was repeatedly jailed under Saddam Hussein’s regime, came to the U.S. in 2002, settling in the Seattle area. He was on his way to take a job at an Islamic newspaper in Washington, D.C., when the train stopped in Havre, Mont., on April 1, 2003.