OROFINO, ID – A 37-year-old Lewiston man with a long criminal history is one of two people charged in last summer’s hit-and-run crash that injured a Lewis County Sheriff’s Deputy. According to reporting from the Clearwater Progress, Keith Sarbacher and 25-year-old Shyla Chapman (address unknown) were allegedly involved in the incident which happened in the early morning hours of July 21st on US 12, four miles west of Kamiah. Both individuals face felony charges in connection with the incident which officials say was, in fact, an intentional assault upon law enforcement.
According to reporting from the Clearwater Progress, Sarbacher and Chapman, along with a third individual, were allegedly involved in the incident which happened in the early morning hours of July 21st on US 12, four miles west of Kamiah. Both individuals face felony charges in connection with the incident which officials reportedly say was, in fact, an intentional assault upon law enforcement.
In a more recent case, Sarbacher was arrested in Lewiston and charged with grand theft this past September for allegedly possessing a stolen 2018 Dodge Challenger from an Oregon car dealership, according to a previous KOZE story. A jury trial is set for February 21st in that case, according to Court records.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation,” Detective Joe Lake with the Idaho State Police District 2 office in Lewiston says regarding the Lewis County case. “We have poured hundreds, if not thousands, of man hours to identify and apprehend the suspects responsible for this critical incident with this deputy.”
ISP conducted an investigation into the hit-and-run crash involving the deputy’s patrol vehicle and a Dodge Ram 2500 pickup.
Sarbacher is charged with attempting to elude a police officer and grand theft; Chapman is charged with accessory to a felony —willfully withhold, conceal, or harbor a felon — and grand theft.
Both are set for hearings in Lewis County Second District Court. Sarbacher is set for trial on March 15th. Chapman has entered into a plea agreement with the accessory charge and is set for sentencing on February 21st.
From the Clearwater Progress:
According to court records, LCSO Deputy Forrest Robinson observed a green Dodge flatbed pickup towing a trailer with an ATV leave the Pit Stop gas station in Kamiah and fail to stop at a posted stop sign on Idaho Street and US12. After following the vehicle and noticing it was dragging chains causing sparks, Robinson initiated a traffic stop with lights and siren; however, the green Dodge allegedly sped up, reaching speeds of approximately 70 mph, was observed crossing into the eastbound lane at least twice, one of which the suspect vehicle narrowly avoided a head-on crash with an eastbound car.
During the pursuit, both the patrol vehicle and green Dodge passed the black Dodge Ram, also westbound, and when Robinson went to call the pursuit incident in, his vehicle was struck from behind by the black Dodge, causing both to crash. The patrol vehicle was pushed into a rock wall and came to rest on the driver’s side in the eastbound lane, and the black Dodge went through Robinson’s car, onto a jersey barrier and impacted the rock wall where it came to rest.
According to the initial ISP crash report, the unidentified driver of the black Dodge left the scene in another vehicle, while the passenger, Chapman, was uninjured. According to court records, a responding Clearwater County deputy observed Chapman walking from the crash and returned her to the scene. Allegedly providing law enforcement a false name for the driver, Chapman later identified the driver as Timothy D. Kelly, 23, address unknown, saying prior to the incident they had been at a Kamiah residence consuming alcohol and smoking meth. She stated she was asleep at the time of the crash, woke upon impact, and the driver yelled at her to run and leave the scene.
During investigation, Chapman stated she purchased the black Dodge three weeks prior, and that Kelly had allegedly stolen Montana license plates for it as she was unable to register the vehicle. Two other sets of stolen Idaho plates were found in the Dodge, which was later determined to have been stolen out of Priest River, Idaho.
ISP investigation of July 21 security video from the Pit Stop prior to the crash shows both the green Dodge flatbed and black Dodge Ram pulling up to the pumps, subsequently showing the drivers of both interacting, and the passenger moving around. The black Dodge then leaves, followed by the green Dodge two minutes later. The crash is reported to LCSO dispatch approximately five to 10 minutes later.
In connection with this incident, Sarbacher is alleged to have fled from law enforcement, while pulling a trailer with a UTV identified as one of two that were stolen that July 18 from an Idaho County residence on State Highway 14. Chapman is alleged to have willfully concealed the identity of the driver involved in “intentionally striking Dept. Robinson’s patrol vehicle,” and being in ownership of a stolen vehicle and license plates.
In the ISP investigation report, the trailer allegedly used to carry the stolen UTV was identified as stolen from Sarbacher’s uncle. The second UTV was discovered by Idaho County Sheriff’s Office deputies abandoned near a Kamiah railroad trestle, within it was allegedly Sarbacher’s driver’s license.
Since the incident, Robinson has recovered and is back on duty, according to Lewis County Sheriff Jason Davis. As the matter involved one of his deputies, to avoid conflict of interest, the investigation was handled by ISP.
“We want to see justice for our patrol officer,” Davis said, recognizing the suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty, “and we feel through this investigation that we believe it’s going to come.”
Detective Lake clarified the nature of a critical response incident, explaining this is initiated, “anytime when a law enforcement officer is involved, whether force is applied by the officer, or upon the officer.” The critical incident task force is comprised from the majority of law enforcement agencies within the five counties (Lewis, Idaho, Clearwater, Nez Perce and Latah) of District 2, and lead investigating agency is determined on the circumstances involved.
Photo courtesy of Facebook.
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