Nampa fire chief was speeding, made unsafe lane change before wreck, report says
Off-duty Nampa Fire Chief Karl Malott was driving his 2011 Harley-Davidson motorcycle at high speed before he switched lanes and struck the back of a car on Interstate 84 west of Caldwell on Sept. 24, according to a crash report obtained through the Idaho Transportation Department.
The report does not indicate how fast Malott was going, only that he exceeded the posted 80 mph speed limit as he headed east at 4:30 that afternoon.
The report lists speed, inattentiveness and an improper lane change as contributing factors leading to the crash.
The Payette County crash remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police, said Capt. Bill Gardiner, who heads patrol operations and investigations in the Boise area.
He said police are waiting to obtain medical records from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where Malott was listed in good condition on Friday afternoon. He was initially admitted to the hospital in critical condition.
No decision has been made on whether Malott will be cited for his actions that day, Gardiner said.
In the hospital, Malott is “undergoing intense physical therapy that could go for another three weeks,” Nampa spokeswoman Vickie Holbrook said Friday. “He continues to receive a steady flow of cards and letters and is very grateful for the continued support during his recovery.”
Malott was headed east on I-84 near the Sand Hollow exit, six miles west of Caldwell, when he struck the back of a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Juanita Sarceda of Nampa.
Malott, who was not wearing a helmet, moved from the left lane to the right lane and then struck Sarceda’s car, according to the report. Malott was thrown from the motorcycle and landed in the center of the eastbound lanes. His motorcycle continued forward, coming to rest near the eastbound off-ramp.
John Sowell: 208-377-6423, @IDS_Sowell
This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Nampa fire chief was speeding, made unsafe lane change before wreck, report says."