Driver who fled from police while driving to hospital sentenced
By Eric Grossarth, EastIdahoNews.com
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IDAHO FALLS, ID (eastidahonews.com) — A woman will spend time on probation for fleeing police while she drove to a hospital.
Blair Alan Morgan, 29, of Rexburg, pleaded guilty in May to felony eluding police and was sentenced on Monday to a four-year term of probation. District Judge Dane H. Watkins gave Morgan an underlying two- to five-year prison sentence that could be served if Morgan is not successful on probation.
Morgan was also ordered to attend Wood Court, a program named after former Idaho State Rep. JoAn Wood who initiated the program. According to Bonneville County, the structured recovery program promotes self-sufficiency for those convicted of crimes.
Morgan pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement made with Bonneville County prosecutors. A felony possession of methamphetamine charge and a misdemeanor of possession of drug paraphernalia charge were dismissed in exchange for the guilty plea.
The crime occurred on April 6, when the Idaho Falls Police Department got called about a car driving erratically and stopping in the middle of the road at green lights. According to police reports, when officers tried to pull over the car driven by Morgan near 17th Street and Woodruff Avenue, Morgan sped away and for safety, officers called off the chase.
Police kept getting calls about Morgan’s erratic driving, which included running red lights, driving into oncoming traffic and nearly hitting other drivers. Eventually, court documents indicate Morgan is believed to have hit another car before driving off again.
Another officer spotted Morgan run a red right at Woodruff while driving westbound on Sunnyside Road. The officer says Morgan then made a big U-turn, across all the lanes to drive eastbound at speeds estimated at 60 to 70 mph.
The officer followed when Morgan eventually turned into the parking lot of Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Once at the patient drop-off area, the officer saw Morgan stop and police commanded her to get out of the car.
Once in handcuffs, Morgan told police she thought she was dying from a methamphetamine overdose after eating a meth rock. Officers took Morgan inside the hospital, where they got her medically checked out before taking her to the Bonneville County Jail.
Morgan still faces a misdemeanor leaving the scene of a crash charge and is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Aug. 5.
In addition to the time on probation, court records show Morgan was ordered to pay $1,645.50 in fees and fines and complete 100 hours of community service.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In previous coverage of this case, EastIdahoNews.com referred to Morgan as a man, because that is how she was referred to in initial charging documents. EastIdahoNews.com later learned she identifies as a woman, which is reflected in this article.
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