Man arrested after rollover crash on Christmas morning
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POCATELLO — A man was arrested on DUI charges after a pickup truck crashed through a fence and rolled onto railroad tracks on Christmas Day.
According to court documents, around 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, officers responded to the rollover crash and found two people inside the pickup.
The vehicle was found on its side on railroad tracks, and Pacific Railroad was contacted to stop trains from using the tracks.
Officers spoke with a witness who had just left a gas station on North 5th Avenue when the truck had passed him near the Mountain View Cemetery. The witness estimated the truck was speeding at least 100 mph.
The documents state that the person who reported the crash told officers that the truck failed to round the curve on Sublette Street and North 5th Avenue, went through the fence and flipped.
EMS personnel arrived and began treating the pair’s injuries.
Leroy Lee Damon, 21, was identified as the driver with a 23-year-old female passenger.
The passenger sustained a gash on her right ankle and was transported to a local hospital to get stitches.
Damon was pinned in his seat. While EMS was working to extricate him, officers spoke with the passenger.
The woman said she didn’t remember what happened because she was asleep before the crash. They had originally been in Chubbuck and were not sure why they were in Pocatello.
A member of the Pocatello Fire Department removed a full bottle of alcohol from the driver’s side and located an empty bottle outside the truck where it crashed.
Once Damon was extracted, the document states he was unable to walk on his own unassisted and a field sobriety test was not conducted.
Officers said Damon’s speech was thick and slurred, and while en route to a local hospital, a warrant to get a blood draw was requested.
Once the warrant was granted, medical staff at the local hospital drew blood from Damon.
Court documents state that before the warrant, Damon was not compliant with the medical staff while being treated for his injuries.
He was asked to provide a breath sample, but he refused. Damon asked why the police had pulled him over, and was told he had never been stopped by the police but had crashed.
He later asked what jurisdiction they had over him. Officers told Damon they were with the Pocatello Police Department, and he later realized they were law enforcement officers.
Damon was charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence and felony DUI after being found guilty within the past two to 10 years.
If he is found guilty, he faces up to 25 years in prison and or a fine of $10,000.
He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday before Magistrate Judge Adam Strong.
Though Damon has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.