Driver charged in Boise bicyclist’s death sent back to jail after bond revoked

A 43-year-old Kuna woman charged with felony vehicular manslaughter in the death of a Boise bicyclist was found to be out of compliance with conditions of her pre-trial release, a judge ruled Monday.

Judge Steven Hippler revoked Sharon E. Howell’s bond, and she was taken back into custody at the courthouse. The judge set a new bond of $250,000.

Howell was involved in a fatal crash with Boise bicyclist Kurt Krieger. The 47-year-old died at the scene of the Nov. 28 crash at Meridian Road and Lake Hazel Road.

Howell was determined to be legally intoxicated at the time of the crash, according to the Idaho Transportation Department crash report.

Driver distraction was listed as a contributing factor in the crash. The investigator’s summary of the collision said the driver was distracted by taking a drink from a “sports drink bottle.”

Sheriff’s investigators said Krieger was headed west on Lake Hazel, attempting to cross Meridian. Howell’s car was traveling north on Meridian, the ITD report shows. The point of impact on the vehicle was the center of the front bumper.

Krieger was not wearing a helmet. Two-off duty nurses administered CPR, but he died at the scene.

Toxicology tests on Krieger showed that he did not have alcohol or drugs in his system.

There are no stop signs or traffic signals regulating travel on that section of Meridian Road. There are stop signs on Lake Hazel Road.

Howell was arrested on a warrant in July and booked into the Ada County Jail Thursday. She was released on $20,000 bond.

Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Tanner Stellmon told the Statesman Monday that prosecutors received information that urinalysis tests had showed evidence that Howell had been drinking alcohol, a violation of pre-trial release conditions. Prosecutors made a motion to have her bond revoked.

A jury trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 1, 2016.

This story was originally published October 5, 2015 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Driver charged in Boise bicyclist’s death sent back to jail after bond revoked."