Boise police: 18-year-old driver in crash that killed two teens was intoxicated and racing at time of March crash

Published: June 15, 2012 

0305 local memorial1

Friends and family left messages on a big sign for Scott R. Hyde at the site of the March 3 crash where he was killed. The car in which Hyde was riding hit the wall with enough force that road crews had to replace part of it.

Joe Jaszewski — Idaho Statesman file

Boise police are investigating the crash as a case of vehicular manslaughter and aggravated DUI but are waiting for tests to come back before filing their report on the crash that killed two and injured three others.

An Idaho Vehicle Collision Report filed with the Idaho Transportation Department this week says a blood test showed Olson, 18, was under the influence of marijuana and had a .07 blood alcohol content at the time of the crash. The legal limit is .08, but according to Idaho Code, someone under the age of 21 with a BAC above .02 can be charged with a DUI.

Scott R. Hyde, 18, a passenger in the back seat, died in the crash. Kelsey Belcher, 17, another backseat passenger, died March 10.

Olson and two other teens, 18-year-old Jasmine Ondrick and 19-year-old Nick Hendriksen were badly injured. All were students or former students at Meridian’s Mountain View High School.

According to police, Olson “was traveling at a very high rate of speed west on I-184 from Downtown. Witnesses stated it was at 80 to 100 mph. (Olson) was racing a black BMW driven by the brother of passenger Hendriksen.”

“They had left a gathering at a private residence somewhere in Southeast Boise where they had been consuming alcoholic beverages. One witness stated the car exited at Curtis Road at 100 mph and struck a pole,” police said in the report.

Court records show that Olson’s driver’s license was suspended at the time of the crash because of previous traffic citations. Olson received four citations — including two speeding tickets — between October and March, according to Idaho court records.

Police officials said they could not comment on whether criminal charges were possible against Hendriksen’s brother Nathan — who police say was racing Olson — or the owner of the home where the teens reportedly were drinking prior to the crash. Boise police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower said Friday the case remains under investigation.

Nick Hendriksen’s father, Donald, said Friday that he did not know police suspected his son Nathan of racing with Olson; he said he knew only that Nathan was driving as part of a group Olson was with that night.

The news was yet another setback for a family already reeling, Donald Hendriksen said Friday.

“I hope the kids understand ... drinking and driving has dire consequences,” he said.

Young adults “really think like they are invincible,” he said. “This is devastating for my family ... for the Hyde family, the Belcher family ... for all the families.”

The aggravated DUI charges that would be filed against Olson would be for injuries suffered by Ondrick and Nick Hendriksen. Idaho Code says any person caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs who causes anyone else “great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement” should be charged with the felony. That crime is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Intoxication also can be a factor in vehicular manslaughter cases. If prosecutors can prove Olson was drunk or high at the time of the crash, the maximum possible penalty is 15 years in prison. Otherwise, vehicular manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Police officials declined comment Friday on when they will send their report to the Ada County prosecutor, or if or when prosecutors will make a decision on charges.

Police said Olson was driving the 2002 Lexus sedan at a high rate of speed — witnesses said between 80 to 100 mph — about 1:20 a.m. on March 3 when the car came off the I-184 Connector, crossed Curtis Road and smashed into the concrete wall. The impact killed Hyde, who was sitting in the back seat. The car hit the wall with its left-front; the force of the impact swung the car around so the left side hit the wall, rotated again and came to rest in the road facing southeast.

Police said the force of the crash scattered debris over a large area, and firefighters had to cut Olson and Ondrick, the front-seat passenger, out of the wreckage. Ondrick was the only person wearing her seatbelt; none of the airbags deployed.

The ITD report does not indicate if the black BMW driven by Nathan Hendriksen stopped or if police interviewed the people in the car on March 3.

Information on the current medical conditions of Olson and Ondrick was not available Friday. Right after the crash, all three were patients at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, but all were later released.

Donald Hendriksen said his son Nick had the most serious injuries of the three survivors. He was in the hospital for 54 days in rehabilitation and is slowly improving, his dad said. He lost a significant amount of blood and was in critical condition.

“I wasn’t sure he wasn’t going to be the third white cross. ... I didn’t know if my son was going to live,” Donald Hendriksen said. The victims were fortunate the crash occurred close to Saint Al’s.

Hendriksen said he hopes the legacy of the crash is that young people will realize how dangerous it can be to drink and drive.

“All the kids at Mountain View ... I think this really woke them up,” Hendriksen said. “There has to be a message here about the seriousness of this.

“I don’t know how any (of the teens) survived that crash.”

Patrick Orr: 377-6219, Twitter: @IDS_Orr

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