Washington man facing aggravated DUI charge following holiday weekend crash

WALLACE – A Cheney man is facing multiple felony charges after an alcohol-related crash over Memorial Day weekend sent two people to the hospital.

Mark Gottlieb, 47, has been charged with aggravated DUI and felony hit-and-run following a Sunday afternoon accident on May 25 along St. Joe River Road.

According to police, Gottlieb swerved into oncoming traffic, striking a camper trailer before crashing head-on into a Lincoln Navigator traveling behind it. The Navigator was driven by a woman who was 30 weeks pregnant and had her two young daughters in the vehicle. She was airlifted from the scene with serious injuries; her daughters were also hurt.

Shoshone County Sheriff’s Deputy Sara Brazier responded to the scene and found multiple vehicles on the roadside, including an overturned camper. According to witnesses, a red Jeep had crossed the median, hit the camper, and then collided with the Navigator. The Jeep’s driver reportedly fled toward the river.

According to the probable cause affidavit, three hours later, a witness spotted a man matching the suspect’s description hiding on a riverbank about a mile away. Deputy Brazier located the man, who identified himself as Mark Gottlieb. He admitted to being in the crash and still smelled of alcohol, though he denied drinking and refused a field sobriety test. Deputies later obtained a warrant for a blood sample.

In Idaho, a DUI becomes aggravated when it causes serious injury. Gottlieb was released on bond after a court appearance Tuesday and had his driver’s license suspended.

Aggravated DUI carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; felony fleeing the scene carries up to five years.