U.S. 95 crash injures infant

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that the infant was in a safety seat.

SAGLE — Three people, including an infant, were injured after a Canadian motorist drifted into oncoming traffic on U.S. Highway 95 on Sunday night.

Idaho State Police said Garry R. Wallace was headed north when he attempted to negotiate a gradual right-hand curve. The 2002 Honda Civic Wallace was driving drifted into the southbound lane of travel.

Wallace struck a Chevrolet Silverado head-on, causing the Honda compact to spin out off the west side of the highway. The Chevy pickup, meanwhile, spun off the eastern shoulder. A third vehicle, a Peterbilt tractor-trailer, managed to thread the needle and pass between both vehicles but struck the debris field from the crash, state police said.

Wallace, a 74-year-old from Creston, British Columbia, was injured, as was the driver of the Chevy, 35-year-old Edward C. Jarzabek of Spokane Valley, Wash.

An infant inside Jarzabek’s truck was also injured, according to ISP.

Wallace was taken to Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, while Jarzabek and the infant were taken to Bonner General Health, state police said. The driver of the semi, William Arrell of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, was not injured, ISP said.

Wallace was not wearing seatbelt, while Jarzabek and Arrell were, state police said. A relative of Jarzabek’s said on Tuesday the child was in a rear-facing safety seat in the Silverado’s back seat, which saved the girl’s life.

Alcohol has been ruled out as a factor in the crashes, according to ISP. The crashes intermittently blocked the highway for approximately two hours.

The crash happened north of the turnoff for Heath Lake Road.