Idaho woman in coma after SUV hit her on July 4 in Melba. Driver was 14, police say
An Idaho woman is in a coma after she was struck by an SUV on July 4 in Melba while riding a bicycle, according to law enforcement and a GoFundMe page.
Canyon County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Joe Decker told the Idaho Statesman in an email that victim Kellei Bunn was hit at around 10:45 p.m. on Southside Boulevard near the Melba Road intersection. Authorities have identified a 14-year-old boy as the driver of the vehicle, Decker said.
The teenager and his parents are cooperating with the investigation, according to Decker. No charges have been filed yet; Decker said that could change once the investigation is completed.
Under Idaho law, a 14-year-old may legally drive if they obtain a driver training or supervised instruction permit and their parents accept liability for their actions on the road. A driver younger than 16 may operate a vehicle only during daylight hours, unless they have a licensed driver 21 or older in the front passenger seat next to them.
Decker did not immediately respond to a follow-up question about whether the suspect was driving legally.
Bunn, who works as a horse trainer and has an 8-year-old daughter, is in a medically induced coma in a hospital in Portland, according to the GoFundMe organized by Amanda Stocking, Bunn’s sister.
“We are hoping for the best outcome and would appreciate any positive thoughts and prayers,” Stocking wrote on the fundraiser page. She said she organized it to try to raise $25,000 to cover medical bills and her family’s travel costs to Portland.
Stocking could not be reached by the Statesman for comment.
