In brief: Body was actually drunken woman
The lifeless-looking “man” a witness saw fall from a pickup Saturday near the West Plains community of Marshall turned out to be a drunken woman who wasn’t seriously injured.
Spokane County sheriff’s deputies found a large pool of blood on the West Andrus Road after a woman reported seeing someone fall from the open door of a westbound pickup. The woman said the victim seemed lifeless.
She said she slowed down and offered to help, but the man driving the truck told her to “keep driving.”
Along with blood, deputies found a bag with a receipt from the Spokane McDonald’s restaurant at Monroe and Indiana.
Detectives disseminated a security video of the pickup going through the restaurant drive-through lane, and a sheriff’s communications officer found the vehicle through a records search about the same time that a tipster reported its location in the 6600 block of West Andrus Road.
Sgt. Dave Reagan, the Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said the pickup’s owner and his female passenger gave identical accounts: She got drunk and fell out.
No charges were planned, Reagan said.
Superintendent to hold chat
Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Brian Benzel will host his monthly online chat from noon to 1 p.m. today.
To submit a question, visit the district’s Web site at www.spokaneschools.org and click on “Chat with the Superintendent.” Questions can be posted anytime.
Transcripts from previous chats – held the first Wednesday of the month – are available on the Web site.
Post Falls
Heater may have poisoned two
A 46-year-old Post Falls woman and her 22-year-old son were in critical condition Tuesday after possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
Juleen Coniconde and her son, David, were occupants of a travel trailer that was being heated with a portable propane heater, according to Post Falls police.
Post Falls police and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue responded to 806 W. Mullan Ave. just before 1 p.m. Tuesday after another man who had been sleeping in the trailer called 911.
Bruce Stiner, 41, told authorities he awoke about 12:30 p.m. and tried to awaken Juleen and David Coniconde.
Post Falls police Lt. Greg McLean said David Coniconde was semiconscious when authorities arrived, but his mother was unconscious.
Both were taken to Kootenai Medical Center. They were later transferred to Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane, where they remained in critical condition late Tuesday.
Kalispell, Mont.
Toddler’s death deemed accidental
Authorities on Tuesday concluded there was no foul play in the death of a 3-year-old boy whose body was found in a septic tank near here.
Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan said in a brief, written statement that a “complete and thorough” investigation had concluded Loic J.M. Rogers’ death was “accidental.”
“The complete investigation is being turned over to the county attorney’s office for review,” Meehan said.
He did not elaborate.