EAGLE, Idaho — A driver received a withheld judgment Monday for causing a rollover in Eagle that killed another man last summer.
John R. Bowden, 52, admitted to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for his role in the June 11, 2019 wreck.
According to prosecutors, Bowden was driving east on State Street, then attempted to turn north across traffic onto Eagle Road on a blinking yellow arrow. As he turned, Bowden's SUV struck a westbound van driven by 64-year-old Steven Hatcher of Caldwell.
The impact caused the van to roll, and it ended up pinned up against a light pole. Hatcher died at the scene.
"It's clear to this court that it was your driving that caused the death of Steven Hatcher," Judge David Manweiler said. "The benefit of arriving a few seconds earlier resulted in the violent death of someone's son, someone's brother, someone's uncle, someone's coworker and someone's friend."
Bowden was sentenced to 10 days of sheriff inmate labor duty and 100 hours of community service, as well as two years of supervised probation. His driver's license will also be suspended for two years.
Manweiler handed down a withheld judgment, meaning the misdemeanor conviction could be removed from Bowden's record if he successfully completes the terms of his probation.
