KUNA, Idaho — A 70-year-old man who struck a teenage girl walking her dog in Kuna last year has been convicted of aggravated driving under the influence.
Jurors found Joseph Jefferies guilty of the felony charge Monday after a trial. An additional persistent violater charge was dismissed.
Investigators say Jefferies' blood-alcohol content was .096 when he struck 16-year-old Sunshine Bryden of Kuna at West Avalon Street and North School Avenue Sept. 2. Both Sunshine and her Siberian Huskey Harley were in a marked crosswalk at the time.
The impact flung Sunshine 70 feet, breaking her neck and her leg and leaving her covered in road rash and bruises. She was rushed to a local hospital and taken into surgery, but was expected to fully recover.
The dog was also injured in the collision but survived.
Jefferies was charged with DUI in October after an investigation by the Ada County Sheriff's Office. He has been held in the Ada County Jail on a $75,000 bond since his arrest.
Sentencing in the case is set for May 20.
