Idaho officials settle lawsuit over 2011 fatal crash

BOISE – A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit following a fatal crash involving a southwestern Idaho sheriff’s deputy and a New Plymouth man.

The Idaho Counties Risk Management paid $150,000 on behalf of Payette County to settle a lawsuit with Nampa resident Jackie Raymond, public records show.

No other details about the settlement were made public.

“We have settled the case with Payette County to the mutual satisfaction of both parties,” said Nathan Olsen, Raymond’s lawyer.

Raymond has been in a legal battle with Idaho State Police and the sheriff’s office over the 2011 death of her father, Barry Johnson, for nearly five years, the Idaho Statesman reported Thursday.

Johnson died in a crash along a remote stretch of U.S. 30 near New Plymouth in October 2011.

Payette County Deputy Scott Sloan was driving at speeds of at least 100 mph on a 55-mph two-lane rural highway while responding to a 911 call.

Johnson was turning into his driveway when Sloan’s patrol vehicle struck his Jeep while Sloan was trying to pass Johnson.

Sloan was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter but the charge was dropped, due to conflicting Idaho State Police crash-investigation reports and the untrustworthy conduct of the state trooper who led the investigation.

State police investigators later said they had been pressured by command staff to amend their investigation report to say Sloan’s blood alcohol level caused or contributed to the crash, a conclusion they thought could not be proved.