A 73-year-old man is facing legal trouble after a chaotic chain of crashes in the Pocatello area Friday night that began when his vehicle struck a utility pole — and ended only after a second crash left him stranded in a ditch and in need of medical attention.
David Shell was taken into custody after Bannock County deputies responded at 9:17 p.m. to reports of a crash on Pocatello Creek Road, where Shell’s white sedan had collided with a utility pole with enough force to snap it. Rather than remaining at the scene, Shell drove away before deputies arrived.
Second Crash Stops Suspect at Intersection
Shell did not get far. A short distance away on Buckskin Road, his vehicle failed to navigate a T-intersection, continuing straight off the roadway and into a ditch rather than turning. The second crash effectively ended his flight from the original scene.
An ambulance crew responded and treated Shell at the location of the second crash. The nature and extent of his injuries were not immediately released, though he was apparently stable enough to be processed into custody.
Shell was booked into the Bannock County Jail, where he faced two outstanding warrants that had been on file prior to Friday’s incidents. The crashes themselves remain under investigation, and additional charges could follow depending on what authorities determine about the circumstances surrounding both collisions.
Investigation Ongoing as Utility Damage Assessed
The snapped power pole from the initial crash on Pocatello Creek Road will require repair or replacement, adding a property damage component to the case. Utility crews would need to assess the extent of the damage to the pole and any associated infrastructure before repairs could be completed.
The sequence of events — a crash, a departure from the scene, and a second crash shortly after — raises questions that investigators are still working to answer, including whether impairment or a medical event played a role. Authorities have not publicly specified what factor or factors may have contributed to Shell’s inability to maintain control of his vehicle across two separate incidents within a short span of time.
Cases involving drivers who leave accident scenes before law enforcement arrives are taken seriously under Idaho law. Leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage carries its own potential charges on top of whatever the investigation determines caused the original collision.
The two outstanding warrants for which Shell was booked suggest prior contact with the justice system, though the nature of those warrants was not detailed in information released by authorities.
What Comes Next
Bonneville County and broader East Idaho law enforcement agencies continue to respond to incidents involving erratic driving behavior across the region. In a separate case, a Bonneville County suspect was apprehended by a police K-9 after allegedly threatening a resident near Ammon Road, underscoring the range of public safety calls officers handle across the area.
For Shell, the next steps will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation into both crashes. Prosecutors will review the evidence gathered by Bannock County deputies before determining what formal charges, if any, to file beyond the outstanding warrants he was already booked on. The case remains active, and further details are expected as the investigation concludes.