Not necessarily news ...
|
Tragedy on the North Hill
|
|
January 30, 2013 |
 |
| All that
remains of an unidentified orange found
dead this morning by a passing motorist
on Highway 95 on the North Hill. |
|
By Mike Weland
A passing motorist isn't sure of the exact
circumstances, it happened so fast, but the
Idaho Sheriff's Office is investigating a death
this morning on the North Hill as either a case
of apparent homicide or vehicular manslaughter
after an as yet unidentified orange met its
gruesome and tragic demise.
"It happened so fast!" said an obviously
distraught Anita Bryan, 72, Grove, Florida, who
was driving north on Highway 95 and reported the
incident this morning at 7:61 a.m. "It wasn't
quite light yet and there was a bit of fog, and
all I saw was a brief, colorful flash just
ahead. It wasn't until I slammed on my brakes
and came to a stop that I saw that it was an
orange, beaten to a pulp. This is such a
tragedy, I just can't stop shaking. Oranges are
very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and
sodium, and they're also a good source of
thiamin, folate and potassium, as well as a very
good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. Such
a sad waste of life."
According to police deputy Dave "Bubba" Nehigh,
there were no skid marks at what is being
considered a crime scene, and statements from
Bryan lead investigators to believe that
whomever is responsible never even braked.
"We're not sure yet whether the victim was
struck and killed while crossing the road or if
there'd been an argument inside the vehicle and
the victim got throwed out," he said. "Either
way, it was pretty gruesome. There sure wasn't
much left for the coroner to pick up, I mean
this poor thing was beat to a pulp. It didn't
leave us much to work with. No fingerprints,
nothing."
What is clear from the available evidence is that the victim wasn't local.
"We've pretty much narrowed it down that our
victim is from California or Florida or
somewheres," Nehigh said. "No ID in the pockets,
and no pockets to put it in. I'm just glad I
didn't have to go knock on someone's door. Why
heck, I haven't even had breakfast yet."
If it turns out the victim was struck crossing
the road, Nehigh used the incident to stress
pedestrian safety.
"Before you cross the road, always look left,
then right, then left again," he said. "If
you're going to be walking where there's
traffic, always wear bright colors, like yellow
or something, so motorists can see you."
Had this pedestrian heeded that advice, he said,
this orange may well have lived.
Bryan described the suspect vehicle as a brown,
beat up older model sedan, but she couldn't be
sure of the exact make or model, nor could she
identify the vehicle's occupants, though she did
tell officers she definitely saw two and that
both were white.
 "The
car was dirty and pretty beat up," she said. "I
did see a yellow bumper sticker that said Foster
Farms, and 'Washington Grown' was scrawled in
the dirt on the back window."
Though the information she was able to provide
is sketchy, investigators were able to identify
at least two "persons of interest," whose
picture is shown. They don't have names as yet,
and they remind everyone that these are not
suspects until they've been found guilty in a
court of law.
If you see them, Nehigh advised, don't try to be
a hero and wring their necks yourself; call for
professional help.
"We're not sure if these guys were really
involved or not, but by what Miss Bryan tells
us, they were in a position to at least see what
happened, and we want to talk to them. We don't
want people to be taking the law into their own
hands, these guys could be dangerous, and we
have ways to soften 'em up a bit, if necessary.
Tenderize 'em a little, you might say."
Anyone who may have information on this incident
is asked to call BR-549, ask for Bubba.
"This is such a tragedy, and I am absolutely
traumatized. It's, it's like, I don't know," Bryan wailed.
" Like a day without
sunshine ... or something!"
Bonners Ferry Police Chief Steve Benkula shook
his head as he walked away, wiping away a tear.
"At worst, the chickens responsible for this are
cold-blooded murderers," he said. "At best, they
are guilty of littering our beautiful town." |
|
Questions or comments about this
letter?
Click here to e-mail! |
|
|
|
|
