Pocatello man to plead guilty to fatally hitting cyclist
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POCATELLO (AP) — A man accused of fatally striking a Pocatello cyclist in 2020 and leaving the scene has agreed to plead guilty to the two felony charges, according to court records.
Tyler Darwin Carter, 39, of Pocatello, has signed a plea agreement with Bannock County prosecutors that involves pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident charges.
Prosecutors say Carter struck 40-year-old cyclist Bobette “Bobbi” Wilhelm, of Pocatello, with his truck on Buckskin Road on March 13, 2020.
An off-duty Bannock County detention sergeant and his fiancée found Wilhelm’s body in a ravine a few hours after she was reported missing, three days after she was hit.
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According to the plea agreement, the prosecution will recommend a prison sentence of four to 10 years for the manslaughter and three to five years for leaving the scene of an accident. These sentences would be served concurrently though, meaning Carter could be eligible for parole after four years, Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Herzog told EastIdahoNews.com.
Should District Judge Rick Carnaroli implement the punishment recommended by the prosecutors office, Carter would serve a rider upon his release, followed by one year of probation.
Carter will officially change his plea and likely be sentenced at a hearing on May 24.
The sheriff’s office said Carter was driving a GMC pickup truck when he struck Wilhelm around 6:45 p.m., while she was bicycling alone on Buckskin Road. Authorities believe the force of the impact threw Wilhelm into the ravine, where she later died.
The Bannock County Coroner’s Office said Wilhelm was alive for some time before succumbing to her injuries.
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