A 38-year-old Donnelly man charged with vehicular manslaughter after a car accident resulted in the death of 17-year-old Centennial High student Steven Thompson in July was arrested for an unrelated felony DUI less than two months later.

Boise County Prosecutors say Ryan K. Howard was responsible for the death of Thompson, and the injuries of two of his Centennial High cross-county teammates and coach Glenn Mabey, July 22 when Howard lost control of his truck and drove into their SUV on a rain-slicked Idaho 55.

The three students were in the car with Mabey on their way to Stanley to scout out camping spots for a running camp that weekend. Students Austin Stallings, 19, and Michael Dobkins, 17, were both hurt in the crash. Mabey spent more than a week in critical condition at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center with a variety of injuries.

Howard was charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter Monday and is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Feb. 17 in Boise County.

By then, Howard might be in prison for an unrelated felony DUI charge he pleaded guilty to Oct. 30, according to Valley County Court records. Howard was arrested for a felony DUI Sept. 13 — less than two months after the fatal accident on Idaho 55.

Details on the September arrest were not available Wednesday morning. DUI cases charged as felonies generally involve some kind of injury to another person or property, excessive amounts of alcohol, or previous DUI convictions for the driver.

Alcohol was not a factor in the July accident, according to Idaho State Police and Boise County prosecutor’s reports.

If found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, Howard could be sentenced to spend up to a year in jail and have to pay up to a $2,000 fine.

Boise County Prosecutor Tim Flemming said Wednesday he decided misdemeanor charge was appropriate after going over the Idaho State Police reports detailing the crash.

Flemming says the evidence did not show “gross negligence” on the part of Howard required to charge the case as a felony.

The criminal complaint filed Monday says Howard was “driving carelessly, imprudently or inattentively and/or driving at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions, which resulted in an automobile collision that caused the death of Steven Thompson.”

Investigating such fatal crashes can be complex and it can take investigators months before accident reconstruction reports and evidence tests are completed and are ready for review, Flemming said.