BOISE, Idaho — A 29-year-old Parma man has been sentenced for vehicle manslaughter for causing a 2021 crash on Interstate 84 that involved nine vehicles and killed a 27-year-old woman.
Dalton Leonard was sentenced on Oct. 13 to 90 days in jail with the option of work release and 10 years of probation, the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney announced Tuesday. Leonard's license was also suspended for three years.
The fatal crash occurred on the morning of May 11, 2021, near the Cloverdale overpass on I-84. When Idaho State Police troopers arrived, they found a semi-truck hauling 65,000 pounds of lumber on fire in the median. Debris and wreckage from the crash was blocking nearly all traffic in both the east and westbound lanes.
Investigators said the incident began in the eastbound lanes when Leonard made a sudden lane change and hit the semi that was loaded with lumber.
The semi sideswiped an eastbound passenger vehicle before crashing into the concrete median, catching fire and striking a westbound semi that jack-knifed.
At the time of the crash, investigators said flying debris from one of the semis hit the roof of a westbound Toyota Camry. The impact knocked the female driver, 27-year-old Julia Goodwin, unconscious. Her car was located about a half-mile past the crash scene in a westbound lane.
Goodwin was taken to the hospital following the crash and later died from her injuries, the prosecuting attorney said.
THC was found in Leonard's blood at the time of the crash. He was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter, aggravated driving under the influence (DUI), misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia with the intent to use in August 2021.
Leonard pled guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter in June.
"I extend my sincerest condolences to Ms. Goodwin's family," Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said. "The severity of the crash scene that day pulled the Idaho Transportation Department, Ada County Paramedics, and multiple law enforcement agencies from all over Ada County to help, and I appreciate all their work that day. Thank you to the Idaho State Police for their hard work handling this investigation."
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