(0:00) Joining me live in studio right now with his monthly report is Lincoln County (0:04) Sheriff Shane Johnson. Sheriff Johnson, good morning. Hope you guys are staying (0:07) cool out there.

Yeah, it’s getting warm. Good morning, dude. I appreciate your time as (0:11) always.

Wanted to get some updates on what’s happening with this incident that (0:15) took place over the weekend in Grays River about nine miles outside of (0:19) Alpine. Maybe take us back to the beginning and what occurred here with (0:23) this. Well, we got some calls about a vehicle that had gone over the side of (0:28) the road, about a hundred foot drop.

And so there were some calls came in from (0:34) people that they didn’t have phone coverage at that location but observed (0:37) something and so they headed down to where they could get a signal. So we got (0:43) some calls about that headed up there. Also medical was in route.

But basically (0:49) we found a vehicle that had gone off the side. There was a passenger in that (0:53) vehicle that was ejected from the vehicle and had sustained some pretty (0:59) significant injuries. And then the driver, there was two occupants, the (1:05) driver had left the area.

And so he left the scene of the accident, an injury (1:10) accident, which is problematic and troubling for us. So we’re still in the (1:17) process of identifying who that driver is. The passenger that was ejected (1:23) and sustained injuries was eventually lifelighted to Idaho Falls.

So he’s in (1:29) the hospital there. We’ve been in contact with him and interviewed him. He’s not (1:34) being totally cooperative in trying to help us find the driver.

And there’s a (1:39) language barrier there. So we’re having to use a translator or a Spanish (1:46) speaking interviewer to try and get information out of him. So we’re still (1:51) looking for some vehicles that possibly helped the driver leave the scene.

We (1:59) have the, of course, the vehicle that was involved in our impound. But so we’re, (2:04) that’s still an open case that we’re working and trying to locate the driver (2:10) who’s also a suspect in a crime at this point. So that’s our efforts are going (2:16) that way.

So as far as the vehicle that was involved in the incident, (2:21) registration-wise, did it not belong to the driver then or the passenger? Well, (2:26) we’re still trying to verify that. We don’t think so. But it’s possible.

But we (2:31) have not, we have the registration. It’s out of Idaho. So we’re working on that.

(2:36) But we don’t believe it’s registered to the the person that fled the scene. Okay. (2:42) Still, still verifying a lot of information.

Again, the language barriers (2:45) been a little problematic. But sure. Just a reminder to those people out there that (2:53) when they take a language class in high school, polish up on it.

It’ll serve you (2:58) well in the future. Yeah. Wish I’d done that.

You never know when it might come in (3:02) handy, right? As far as the cause of the accident, was there alcohol involved? (3:07) Alcohol involved. Located a lot of open bottles and empties and some of those (3:13) had been attempted to been hidden at the scene. So somebody had time to try (3:18) and put those where they didn’t think that would find them.

So we definitely (3:22) think that alcohol was a factor in the accident. So as far as the suspect on the (3:29) run that left the scene, you don’t have any way right now of knowing if he was (3:34) picked up by someone else, if he’s still out wandering around. You mentioned (3:37) yesterday you don’t believe there’s a threat to anybody that might be out in (3:41) the Grange River.

No, I wouldn’t get in a car with him. But yeah, I don’t think (3:44) he’s a threat. It’s possible that he’s injured.

We’ve checked the area (3:50) hospitals to see if anybody’s checked themselves in with that description. And (3:54) to this point, there hasn’t been anybody. Um, that that was a pretty severe (4:00) accident.

So, um, but and we do believe you asked about helping him leave the (4:06) area. We do believe that he was he was given a ride out of the area by (4:12) somebody acquaintances or somebody that picked him up and helped him flee the (4:16) scene of the accident. So that’s problematic as well.

Gotcha. So who (4:20) knows where at this point then? Right, right. We do believe that they’re out (4:24) of, um, Idaho, Irwin, Idaho.

And so that we’re we’re still doing a lot of (4:30) follow up and seeing what we can find out there. Okay. Thank you.

Kind of (4:33) Sheriff Shane Johnson in studio this morning on the weekday. Wake up. (4:36) Anything else on this case? No, you think it’s worth mentioning? No, we’ll (4:40) keep you updated.

We’ll keep working it. And I’m confident we’ll get. We’ll (4:45) bring it to a conclusion, and we’ll find out who it was.

I’m It’s just (4:49) gonna take a little time, but I’m confident we’ll do that. So anything (4:52) else happening within the sheriff’s office that you wanted to mention today (4:56) while we have you? Oh, we’re we’re getting ready to do some promotions in (5:01) the Afton patrol area. So that will be coming here in a week or so.

Um, just (5:06) through attrition and retirements and some, um, (5:13) a couple patrol sergeants. So we’re excited about that. Some opportunities (5:16) for some of our people.

Um, but it’s just, you know, gearing up for summer. (5:22) The obviously the increased traffic that that slow down in the narrows. (5:27) People are getting impatient there.

So we encourage people to be patient. Just (5:31) plan extra time knowing that you’re gonna get stuck there for a while. So (5:36) you don’t feel the pressure that you gotta take off around other people and (5:41) be unsafe that way.

So just spend a little extra time. Um, or plan for (5:46) spending a little extra time in the narrows. The light won’t change.

Right? (5:51) It changed to green any faster, right? As mad as you get or or is impatient. (5:56) It doesn’t change. In fact, it seems like it makes it longer that it does.

(6:00) That’s Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson in studio this morning. It’s (6:03) all part of the weekday. Wake up today on the S. V. I. Radio network.