Willamette Week reporter Nick Deshais has been digging into the Timothy O’Donnell case to find out more about the driver, Jennifer Knight.
In a story posted late last night on the Willamette Week blog Deshais notes that he tracked down an accident report from Idaho involving Knight just six days before she hit O’Donnell on a rural road in Washington County.
From his story:
“Just six days prior, on June 3, Jennifer Knight failed to yield onto US95 in Hayden, Idaho, and collided with another vehicle. The accident, which authorities attributed to Knight’s inattentiveness, caused an estimated $5,300 worth of damage to both cars.”
Deshais also reports on whether or not this would have any bearing on the O’Donnell case:
“According to Chris Quinn in the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, no previous infractions would count against Knight because under Oregon law, “prior bad acts are not admissible” in a case against her.
“The question is whether or not it rises to a criminal level,” Quinn says of fatal accidents. “Based on the information we have, we’re not pressing criminal charges.””