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HomeMy Public PortalAboutAutomobile Accidents: Highway 95:td ,(Ye u Oc. t 10/ H9i U.S. 95 wreck kills all three in family BY JEANNE SEOL The Star -News All three members of a Moscow family were killed Sunday night in a collision on U.S. 95 north of New Meadows after a car failed to yield at a stop sign and crashed into the family's station wagon. Dennis Barnett, 21, formerly of New Meadows, his wife, Kristina Barnett, 20, and their seven -month old son, Justin Barnett, were all pronounced dead at the scene at 9:04 p.m., Idaho State Police said. Phe accident occurred a little more than two years after Dennis Barnett's sister, Shanna, 15, was killed in an auto accident east of New Meadows. The Barnetts were driving south on U.S. 95 four miles north of New Meadows in a 1985 Celebrity station wagon when they were hit broadside by a vehicle driven by Douglas Dixon, 36, of New Meadows, police said. Dixon's car was traveling west on Circle C Lane, or "Zim's Road," and did not stop at the road's intersection with U.S. 95, police said. Dixon's 1995 Chevrolet pickup collided with the Barnett vehicle and pushed it off the highway through a fence and into a pasture, police said. Dixon was not injured in the accident and was arrested a short time later at a nearby residence after he left the scene, Idaho State Police said. Dixon was arraigned Monday in Adams County Magistrate's Court on three counts of felony vehicular manslaughter and one felony count of leaving the scene of an accident, court officials said. He is being held in the Adams County Jail on $200,000 bond and will appear at a preliminary hearing at the courthouse in Council on Friday at 3 p.m. Dixon is charged in the court complaint of causing the Barnetts' death by "driving under the influence of alcohol and striking the (Barnett) vehicle," court officials said. Police said that Dennis and Kristina Barnett were not wearing seat belts. Justin Barnett was in a child seat that was belted into the front seat. Dixon was not wearing a seat belt but the airbag in his pickup did inflate, police reports said. Local services for the three family mem- bers will be held starting at 3:30 p.m. today at Meadows Valley High School. Dennis Barnett was a 1993 graduate of Meadows -Valley High School. In July 1994, Dennis Barnett's sister, Shanna Barnett, was killed as she was driving a car on Idaho 55 near old Mead- ows. Her car collided head-on with a car driven by Claude Hart, 81, of Fruitland. Hart later pleaded guilty to a felony charge of vehicular manslaughter. Hart was given a suspended 10-year prison sentence, 10 years probation, 30 days in the Payette County Jail, a 10-year driver's license revocation and was or- dered to conduct monthly programs to warn senior citizens and other motorists not to drive if they are sleepy or otherwise unable to drive. Dennis and Shanna Barnett were the children of Cliff and Debbie Barnett of New Meadows. DENNIS MICHAEL BARNETT KRISTINA LYN OLSON BARNETT JUSTIN WYATT BARNETT Dennis Michael Barnett, 21 Kristina Lyn Olson Barnett, 20, and Justin Wyatt Barnett, 7 months, of Moscow, were killed in an automo- bile accident Sunday, Oct. 6, 1996 north of New Meadows. Services will be conducted at 3:301 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Mead- ows Valley High School, with Pastor David McGarrah officiating and un- der the direction of the Heikkila Fu- neral Chapel, McCall. Memorial ser- vices will be conducted 2 p.m. PT Friday, Oct.11, in the Moscow Church of the Nazarene. Dennis was born April 17,1975, in McCall and had lived most of his life in New Meadows. He attended and graduated from Meadows Valley High School. He studied drafting at LCSC in Lewiston for two years, where he met his wife, Kristina. Dennis enjoyed hunting, fishing, basketball and spending time with his family. He was always outgoing and a friend to everyone he met. Dennis and Kristina were married on Sept. 30, 1995 and their son, Justin, was born March 10, 1996. They lived in Moscow. Dennis was joined in death by his wife and son. Survivors include his parents Cliff and Debbie Barnett of New Meadows; grandparents, Bob and Pat Balbach and Joyce and Raymond Barnett a great-granc- mother, Christine Stephens, and sev- eral aunts, uncles and cousins. Kristina was born March 25, 1976, in Pullman, Wash., and was the daugh- ter of Donald E. and Dianna C. Olson. She grew up in Moscow and attended ogos Christian School. She gradu- Barnett family eulogized in service NEW MEADOWS A d — crow of more than 600 people filled the New Meadows High School gym- nasium to near capacity last Thursday to hear friends and family eulogize Dennis, Kristina and Justin Barnett, t; who were killed in a traffic accident several miles north of New Meadows on Oct. 4. Barnett, 21, who graduated from Meadows Valley High School in 1993, was described by his former high school basketball coach Curtis Blum as a "unique blend of tough and tender." .�da(dv 5t'dfe911/al4 0c1 b;199G ated from Logos in 1994 and went to LCSC for the fall semester of 1994. She met her husband Dennis Michael Barnett at college in Lewiston. They were married Sep- tember 30, 1995, and lived on the farm where Dennis worked in Mos- cow. Their baby boy, Justin Wyatt Barnett, was born on March 10, 1996, in Lewiston. Kristina's ambition in life was to be a housewife and a mother. She enjoyed shopping, church activities, spending time with family and most of all taking care of her two boys (husband, Dennis, and son, Justin). Kristina is survived by her parents of Moscow; two sisters, Holly Olson of Moscow, Elsa Fairley of Moscow and Elsa's husband, Steve, and children Doug, 15, and Julie, 10; a grand- mother, Mildred Olson of Moscow; a grandfather, George Crane of Troy, as well as several aunts, uncles, cous- ins. Justin Wyatt Barnett was born March 10, 1996, in Lewiston and was the son of Dennis and Kristina Barnett. Justin was joinedin death by his mother and father. Justin was a bright and shiny light and touched everyone who came in contact with him. Many people commented on Justin's con- stant smile and sweet personality. He was often tickled with himself as he mastered new skills. He is survived by his grandpar- ents, Cliff and Debbie Barnett of New Meadows, and Don and Dianna Olson of Moscow; great-grandparents, sev- eral aunts, uncles and cousins. Memorials should be made to the Meadows Valley Ambulance Service, New Meadows, ID 83654. And he loved the outdoors he grew up in on the family's New Meadows ranch. But, Blum said, the sport Barnett enjoyed most was eating. He said he also knew Dennis as having devel- oped a much deeper quality since he knew him in high school, and that was the special place he held in his heart for his wife, Kristina, who was 20, and son Justin, who was 7 months old at the time of the accident that took all of their lives. "I'll never forget coaching him here in basketball," Blum said. • His wife, whom he met while attending Lewis -Clark State College in Lewiston, was born in Pullman, Wash., and she grew up on the fam- ily farm near Moscow. Kristin grad- uated from the Logos Christian' School in Moscow. She was remembered by friends as one who was full of joy, which she shared willingly with everyone. And it was noted that their wedding vows, taken one year and four days before their tragic death, included the phrase "Til death do us part." ' Parting was not in the plan for them. The Rev. David McGarrah, who officiated at their wedding and had recently baptised their son, said, "The unfairness of this world caved in on us this week. This young fam- ily had so much to live for. "It was a bad deal, no matter how you look at it, it's a bad deal," he said. And he said it emphasizes the fact that everyone needs to be ready to meet God at any time. McGaragh said the family, which attended his church, the Moscow Church of the Nazarene, will remain together. But he reminded every- one that "you haven't seen the last of these kids." The family was buried together at the Barnett ranch outside of New Meadows. /0//9/fb Dixon charged with manslaughter in deaths of three in Moscow family BY JEANNE SEOL Thesuu-News A New Meadows man charged with the vehicular manslaughter in the death of a Moscow family was bound over for trial last Friday at the Adams County Courthouse in Council. Douglas Dixon, 36, will be ar- raigned in Third District Court on Nov. 4 at 10 a.m., where he will enter a plea to three felony counts of ve- hicular manslaughter and one felony count of leaving the scene of an acci- dent. Dixon waived his right to a preliminary hearing last Friday in Adams County Magistrate's Court. Dixon also posted bond last Friday after bond was reduced from $200,000 to $100,000. Dixon is charged in the court com- plaint of causing the death of Dennis Barnett, 21, formerly of New Mead- ows, his wife, Kristina Barnett, 20, and the couple's seven -month old son, Justin Barnett, by "driving under the influence of alcohol and striking the (Barnett) vehicle." On Oct. 6 at 9:04 p.m., the Barnetts were driving south on U.S. 95 four miles north of New Meadows when they were hit broadside by a vehicle driven by Dixon. Dixon was traveling west on Zim's Road and did not stop at the intersec- tion with U.S. 95, police said. Dixon's 1995 Chevrolet pickup collided with the Barnett's 1985 Celebrity station wagon and pushed it off the highway, through a fence and into a pasture. All three members of the Barnett family were pronounced dead at the scene. Dixon was not injured and was arrested a short time later at a nearby residence after he left the scene, po- lice said. v[N'' Loaf )41,(Ar6/oca /O/�3/94 Winter's first storms bring lots of slide -offs acc idents It was a weekend that saw more than its share of bruised fenders and some bruised bodies. Snowstorms that began Friday evening made for some icy sled- ding over the weekend. There were lots of slide-effs over the weekend, events that con- tinued Tuesday morning with a rash of them in the Goose Creek Grade on Idaho Highway 55. That was the situation Saturday morning on Little Donner Summit north of Cascade, where at one point, authorities reported 7 vehi- cles in the ditch at one time. It was so icy that vehicles that dared to stop on the curve just below the summit on the north side of the hill began sliding side- ways into the north -bound ditch. The worst of a number of acci- dents over the weekend took place on Idaho 55 about two miles south of Cascade. In that accident, Charles Bowse, 28, of Boise, struck an abutment of the small bridge over Big Creek. According to an Idaho State Police Dispatcher, Bowse let up on the accelerator of his car and lost con- trol. The vehicle hit the bridge side- ways and he had to be extricated from the vehicle by a Cascade Rural Fire Department rescue crew. He was transported by ambu- lance to the Cascade Medical Minor injuries were suffered in this Saturday evening collision on Idaho Hwy 55 just north of Arling Hot Springs. Treacherous driving conditions and unstable early winter weather should have drivers exercising all due caution. Center, and later by Life Flight helicopter to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise where he was listed in critical condition. Another accident on Idaho Highway 55 just north of the Arling Hot Springs area snarled traffic Saturday evening, but resulted in no serious injuries. A south -bound vehicle went out of control after hitting black ice and crossed into the north- bound lane where it collided with a north -bound vehicle. Traffic was intermittent through that area for a couple of hours before the wreckage was cleared and traffic began flowing normally. Winter has arrived in the cen- tral Idaho mountains, and drivers are advised to proceed cautiously as they travel in the sometimes treacherous early winter condi- tions. Those conditions usually bring freezing rain and snow flur- ries that can quickly turn to glare ice. Lori Valle? /ldVoca to G?✓t 30, fqw Barnett changes plea, prosecutor will re -file a first -degree murder charge CASCADE — Prosecutors were expected to re -file a first -degree murder charge against Ean Vinton Barnett Tuesday following his with- drawal of a guilty plea to second-degree kidnapping at his sentencing hearing last week. After hearing from 13 witnesses called to testify at Thursday's hear- ing on behalf of Barnett — family, friends and teachers — Fourth District Judge George D. Carey maintained a position he first stated at a hearing last month, that he wasn't going to accept the plea bar- gain agreement that had been struck between Barnett's attorneys and prosecutors. That means Barnett had the option of either taking his chances with Carey, who could have sentenced him to the maximum 25 years in prison on the charge, or withdraw his guilty plea. When he withdrew the plea, that left prosecutors with the option of re -filing an even more serious charge against Barnett. The original deal included a sentencing provision that Carey had earlier said he couldn't go along with, that would have seen Barnett go to prison for only 5 to 10 years for his role in the May 1995 mur- der of Jeffrey David Towers Last month, Ryan Robertson, 20, Michael Olivera, 18, and Chad Toney, 18, were all sentenced to maximum sentences for their involve- ment in the execution -style murder, which took place in the Paddy Flat area southeast of McCall. Robertson received 25 years tolife for second-degree murder, Oliver received 15 to 25 years for second-degree kidnapping, and Toney received 5 years for being an accessory to murder after the fact. Barnett's deal was the first struck by any of the four defendants, all of whom were initially charged with first -degree murder. He agreed to the deal in exchange for his testimony against the other three. But, as Carey did with all of the deals struck, he said he wasn't going to accept them until last month's sentencing. Barnett also provided authorities with their first break in the case in November of 1995 after he was arrested on an unrelated charge. He began talking to authorities about the murder, and ultimately led them to a'shallow grave along a creek in the Paddy Flat area where the four had buried Towers' body after he was shot dead and they burned it. Both Valley County Prosecutor Robert Williams and one of Barnett's attorneys, Valley County Public Defender Richard Roats, said they expect to see quite a bit of legal wrangling in the next few weeks ;-� months. What will be at issue are a number of "evidentiary" matters — what will be allowed to be admitted as evidence in the case and what won't. Key among those issues is an immunity agreement between Barnett and prosecutors early on that may or may not still be binding. Williams said his position is that conflicting statements Barnett has given authorities both in court and during the investigation breeched that immunity agreement. "We'll have to go back and see if that immunity agreement is still valid," he said. At any rate, Roats said his client should have gotten a lighter sen- tence that Olivera, even if he maintained his guilty plea to the second- degree kidnapping charge because the case would never have been solved without him as an informant for authorities. Those and other issues concerning the admissibility of statements by others will have be ruled on by Carey before the first -degree mur- der charge ever gets back to the preliminary hearing stage in Magistrate Court, Williams said. Also an issue at this point is what will happen once Williams leaves office in January. He was defeat- ed by Roats in the May primary election for the unopposed Republican spot on the Nov. 5 bal- lot. Williams said that he hopes to have most of the preliminary issues resolved by that time, and he said another plea bargain of some sort remains a possibility. But he said that, if necessary, he will ask Carey to appoint the Idaho Attorney General's Office to a position of special prosecutor in the case and take over in that regard. Roats will continue to have a conflict of interest as Barnett's attorney, he said. The Idaho AG's office has been involved in the case from the begin- ning anyway with Deputy AG Tom Watkins serving as co -counsel with Williams. Olivera's attorneys ask for reduction of sentence CASCADE — Attorneys for Michael Olivera, who was sentenced to 15 to 25 years in prison for his role in the May 1996 killing of Jeffrey David Towers, have asked that Fourth District Judge George D. Carey reduce that sentence. Olivera pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree kidnapping as part of a plea bargain struck with prosecutors in the case. Olivera's court -appointed attorneys, Mike Pierce of Cascade and Gar Hackney of Boise, filed a motion and an affidavit in support of the motion last week in Fourth District Courtin Cascade asking Carey to reduce their client's sentence. The motion is not an appeal of the sentence handed down, and instead is a legal step asking the ruling judge to reconsider the sentence and reduce it. Dixon pleads innocent to vehicular manslaughter charges in Barnett tragedy COUNCIL — Douglas Dixon, the 36-year side of the highway. old New Meadows man charged with three counts Dixon's 1995 Chevrolet pickup then collid- of vehicular manslaughter in the Oct. 6 deaths ed with the south -bound 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity of Dennis Barnett, 21, his wife Kristina, 21, and station wagon driven by Dennis Barnett. All three their 7-month-old son Justin, pleaded innocent were pronounced dead at the scene of the acci- to those charges in District Court here Monday. dent. Dixon also pleaded innocent to a single charge Dixon, whose vehicle was equipped with an of felony leaving the scene of the accident that airbag, escaped injury and is alleged to have fled he is charged with. the scene of the accident. He was found later by He is free on $100,000 bond, and an antici- Idaho State Police officers at the nearby home pated 3-day trial is scheduled to begin May 27, of his brother. 1997 here. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the acci- The charges result from an accident that is dent, but no separate DUI charge has been filed alleged to have taken place when the west -bound against Dixon. Instead, alcohol is noted as a con - Dixon failed to stop for a stop sign on Circle C tributing factor in the complaint filed against Lane at its intersection with U.S. Highway 95. him on the manslaughter charges. That lane becomes Zims Lane on the west This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Weiser man dies in wreck north of New Meadows A Weiser man died last Thursday when the car he was driving and a semi -truck collided on U.S. 95 about 13 miles north of New Meadows, the Idaho State Police said. The accident happened about 12:54 p.m. Aug. 1 as Leonardo Cornejo, 20, of Weiser, was traveling souhbound on U.S. 95, an ISP release said. Comejo lost control of his vehicle, swerved into the northbound lane, and collided with the semi -truck being driven north by Greg Ingalls, 43, of Kingston. Comejo was pronounced dead at the scene. Ingalls was taken by ambulance to St. Luke's McCall, where he treated for his injuries and released on Friday, a hospital spokesperson said. Comejo was wearing his seat belt, Ingalls was not. The northbound lane of U.S. 95 was blocked for about 5 hours, the ISP release said. http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/fp_stories_page.php 8/8/2013