Local woman charged with DUI after allegedly running tractor off the road and causing serious injuries
Published at | Updated atIDAHO FALLS — Police say a local woman is under investigation for driving under the influence, forcing a tractor off the road and injuring its driver.
Marjorie Kathryn Bare, 27, was charged with felony DUI causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or disfigurement and felony possession of a controlled substance.
On Aug. 29, around 5 p.m., an Idaho State Police trooper was dispatched to a crash with injuries on US Highway 91 near milepost 121, according to court documents.
According to ISP Lt. Marvin Crane, the driver, identified as Bare, was driving north in a 2021 Hyundai Kona and crossed over the roadway, hitting a tractor that was traveling south on the shoulder. The driver of the tractor was transported to a local hospital by an Idaho Falls ambulance.
On the scene, the trooper learned Bare had “possibly stuffed something into her pants.”
When the trooper arrived, she noticed the Hyundai and tractor on the shoulder of the road with “severe damage.”
Idaho Falls Ambulance personnel, two Idaho State Police Corporals, and another ISP trooper were also on the scene.
According to court documents, Bare was sitting in the ambulance with one of the corporals who was telling her she needed to “be honest” and remove the items she allegedly put in her pants.
Bare responded that it was “just had some old foils.” She then took the items out, which reportedly included a cosmetic bag with multiple burnt foils, two burnt pens, several lighters, and “other miscellaneous tools.”
Police reports state she then began “crushing the burnt foils together, in what appeared to be an attempt to crush any remaining substance or evidence inside.” The trooper told her to stop and then allegedly saw Bare try to grab one of the pens back and put it back in her pants.
Bare refused medical transport and “appeared to have issues remembering details from the crash and following instructions.”
According to court documents, Bare was told multiple times to sit down, and at one point, got up and began walking toward the crashed tractor “in a state of panic.”
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She reportedly told troopers a piece of crash debris was the driver of the tractor and that he was “still laying there.”
Bare’s supervisor from Subway, where she reportedly worked, came to the scene and told troopers Bare had been working her shift and then took an “abnormally long time in the restroom.”
The supervisor said when she came out, she “began exhibiting odd behavior and was speaking to (the supervisor) about conversations he stated they never had.”
He told troopers she had begun struggling with the basic duties of her job and that a customer had alerted him that there was a pipe in the bathroom.
The supervisor asked Bare if it was hers, and she reportedly denied knowing anything about it.
The supervisor threw the pipe away but later reviewed security footage where he reportedly saw Bare take the pipe out of the trash and keep it.
After being shown a photo of the pipe from the supervisor, troopers say it looked like one of the pens that was found in Bare’s pants.
Bare was then taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center by ISP for a jail clearance. There, troopers learned she was also on felony probation.
According to troopers, Bare seemed to be “nodding off” and had to be told numerous times not to leave the hospital, and reminded why she was there.
Bare reportedly kept falling asleep while talking and stated, “I thought he was going straight but he just pulled right out.”
Troopers were able to search Bare’s handbag, where they reportedly found a single yellow-colored pill that Bare said was “most likely Xanax.”
Due to the injuries she sustained from the crash, troopers were unable to obtain a medical clearance for Bare. She was then cited and released from police custody.
While processing evidence, troopers found a blue circular pill inside one of Bare’s foils, which later tested positive for fentanyl.
The trooper later met with the victim of the crash, who said he sustained a broken tibia, two broken ribs, and damage to his vertebrae. He reportedly spent 17 days in the hospital and now requires the use of crutches or a walker.
According to police reports, the victim did not require any assistance before the crash and was “extremely active.”
A warrant was issued for Bare’s arrest on Dec. 28, and she was booked into the Bonneville County Jail that same day with a bond of $20,000. She later posted bail and was released on Dec. 31.
She is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 17. If convicted, she could face up to 22 years in prison.
Though Bare has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article included a mugshot of the wrong inmate. It was replaced when we received the correct image from the jail. EastIdahoNews.com apologizes for the error.