UPDATE: DUI charge dismissed following suspect’s death

UPDATE

A Pocatello man awaiting trial for a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence has died.

Joshua Noah Hansen, 38, died on Dec. 9, according to an obituary.

An outstanding charge for driving under the influence was dismissed on Jan. 21, court records show.

The cause of Hansen’s death has not been made public.

ORIGINAL STORY

POCATELLO — A local man arrested for felony aggravated driving under the influence is also alleged to have verbally threatened a nurse, according to newly released court documents.

Joshua Noah Hansen, 37, was arrested Tuesday afternoon after a single-vehicle crash sent both him and a passenger to Portneuf Medical Center. While being treated, he allegedly yelled obscenities at officers attempting to gather information before threatening harm on a nurse, according to an affidavit of probable cause. He allegedly told the nurse, “I’m going to f*** you up.”

Related: Man arrested for DUI after single-car crash in Pocatello

Court documents show Bannock County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash near the intersection of Main Street and West Gould around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, deputies found Hansen’s Subaru Tribeca against the guardrail of the overpass. Deputies found Hansen on the ground beside his vehicle, according to records, noting that he appeared to be in pain.

While administering assistance, deputies were told by Hansen’s wife, who was also in the car, that Hansen had recently undergone neck surgery. Officers kept his head secured while asking him to describe what had happened.

Hansen told deputies that his wife was driving when the vehicle’s transmission “locked up” while turning right from Main on to Gould. Deputies noted in their reports that Hansen smelled of alcohol and that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot.

Officers also tended to a female juvenile passenger inside Hansen’s vehicle. She suffered an injury to her upper leg, reports show. Both Hansen and the passenger were transported to PMC for medical care.

Officers spoke with a witness, who said that the vehicle nearly struck him on his motorcycle shortly before crashing. The witness described the vehicle taking the turn too quickly before spinning and crashing into the guardrail. Asked who had been driving the vehicle, the witness told deputies that the man, Hansen, was driving at the time of the crash.

Hansen’s wife, also said Hansen had been driving. She said Hansen may have lied to police because he had consumed a “couple of drinks,” shortly before the incident. Asked if she had been drinking, Hansen’s wife told officers that she had not, but that she was not allowed to drive as she did not have a valid driver’s license.

When deputies spoke with Hansen at the hospital, he once again stated that he had not been driving.

As a field sobriety test could not be conducted, due to Hansen’s injury and his wearing a cervical collar, he was asked if he would consent to a blood draw. He responded “f*** you, get a warrant,” before unleashing a curse-ridden tirade on deputies, at one point balling his fist and raising his arm as if he was attempting to strike the officer.

Upon his request, hospital personnel removed the collar, during which Hansen looked at the nurse securing his neck and saying “If I ever see you out on the street, I’m going to f*** you up.”

Because deputies were concerned that IV treatment would affect the outcome of a blood test, a blood draw was requested prior to the acquisition of a warrant. A warrant was obtained a short time later.

After being cleared by medical staff, Hansen was arrested and taken to Bannock County Jail where he was booked for aggravated DUI and assault on a medical professional. The DUI was considered a felony because the juvenile was injured as a result of the crash.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office forwarded its report to Child Protective Services, in accordance with their department policy.

Hansen was released on his own recognizance Wednesday and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 24.

If found guilty, he could face up to 15 years in prison and $5,000 in fines for the DUI charge.