Crashes injure three people

Jamie Doran

Valley Press

Two accidents left three local residents with serious injuries last week.

Two Noxon residents were injured in a car crash Aug. 3, with one of those still in Intensive Care in critical condition. Kara Printz, 26, was northbound on Walk River Road near Clark Fork, Idaho at 8 p.m. when she lost control of her vehicle and failed to negotiate a curve, driving off the west side of the roadway.

The vehicle struck the embankment and overturned twice, coming to rest on its tires.

Printz was not wearing her seat belt and was thrown from her vehicle. Her passenger, Tyson Pieper, 35, did have his seat belt on and had to be extricated.

Printz was flown by MedStar Northwest to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. with critical injuries. As of Monday afternoon she was in the Intensive Care Unit of Sacred Heart and in critical condition, according to the nursing supervisor.

Clark Fork Valley Ambulance took Pieper to Bonner General Hospital in Bonner, Idaho. He was listed in stable condition on Thursday, and was treated and released on Friday.

Idaho state police said that alcohol was involved in the crash and their investigation is continuing.

A man was lifeflighted out from an accident that occurred just outside of Dixon on Saturday.

The accident happened about two miles north of Montana Highway 200 on Highway 212. The accident was a single vehicle accident and the driver lost control and flipped over.

Mission Ambulance responded and then requested a lifeflight at the accident scene.

The Montana Highway Patrol also responded to the accident.