Woman sentenced after causing crash that killed motorcyclist
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IDAHO FALLS — A local woman charged in a fatal crash that killed a motorcyclist last year has been sentenced to probation.
Caybrie DeGarlais, 20, was sentenced by Judge Wiley Dennert to unsupervised probation for misdemeanor inattentive or careless driving after accepting a plea agreement.
DeGarlais was originally charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and misdemeanor DUI in connection to the June 2021 crash that killed 41-year-old Cody Jacob Niendorf Jr. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.
According to the plea agreement, DeGarlais agreed to plea guilty to misdemeanor inattentive or careless driving, and the prosecution dropped the misdemeanor charges of DUI and vehicular manslaughter.
On June 22, 2021, Idaho Falls Police responded to a car crash at the Sunnyside and I-15 exit.
Police reports show Niendorf was riding west on Sunnyside Road around 6 p.m. when DeGarlais exited Interstate 15 on the southbound off-ramp.
When DeGarlais tried turning onto Sunnyside Road, she hit Niendorf with her 2020 Toyota Corolla, according to court documents.
Niendorf was not wearing protective equipment, and was “separated from his motorcycle at impact and continued to travel in a south west direction impacting the pavement with his head,” according to the police report.
An investigation Idaho Falls Police determined if DeGarlais had waited 1.47 seconds to yield to Neindorf, the motorcyclist would not have had to slam on his brakes and the crash wouldn’t have happened, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Niendorf was taken to EIRMC where he was later pronounced deceased.
Officers took a blood sample from DeGarlias after the crash, which tested positive for THC — the main psychoactive part of marijuana — in her system.
The coroner later took a blood sample from Neindorf, which tested positive for methamphetamine, according to court documents.