Coeur d’Alene woman dies after driving car into Fernan Lake

A 40-year-old woman is dead after driving her car into Fernan Lake Sunday afternoon.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said Pepper Richardson, who was pulled from her submerged vehicle at around 3:30 p.m., died later that evening at a hospital, according to a sheriff’s news release. She was previously listed in critical condition at Kootenai Health.

Richardson crashed into the lake, which is east of Coeur ‘d Alene, near the 4800 block of Fernan Lake Road. Her car came to a rest in water that was about 12 feet deep.

Deputies said speed and alcohol may have been factors in the crash.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Team is continuing to investigate.