Man pleads guilty in crash and fire that killed Blackfoot man
Update: 10/25/16
Dillon Grant Gibson of Blackfoot has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of vehicular manslaughter.
Bingham County Prosecutor Cleve Colson said Gibson killed William Kay Hong by driving his 1999 Cadillac into Hong’s house at 490 Lilac Street in Blackfoot. According to the plea, the incident was not done with malice. Gibson admitted that he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In exchange for the guilty plea of vehicular manslaughter, the state dismissed one felony count of leaving the scene of an accident and two counts of failure to report the accident, both misdemeanors.
Gibson also agreed to pay restitution on all counts.
The crime is punishable by 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
Sentencing was set for January 10,2017 at 2 p.m.
Update 6/15/16 11:10 am: Blackfoot Police have released the name of the man responsible for a house fire and the death of one elderly man after a car crashed into a Blackfoot home.
30-year-old Dillon Grant Gibson of Blackfoot has been arrested and is being charged with vehicular manslaughter, aggravated DUI, and leaving the scene of an accident. All of those charges are felonies.
One Tuesday evening the Blackfoot Police Department, Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, and Blackfoot Fire Department responded to an incident where a vehicle crashed through the garage of a residence at the intersection of Parkway Dr. and Lilac St. in Blackfoot. When officers arrived on scene there was a large fire that had been ignited from the vehicle crashing through the garage. Officers discovered the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash had left the scene and began searching for the driver. Gibson was arrested a short time later.
The residence was occupied at the time of the crash. The occupant, William K. Hong, 92, of Blackfoot, was transported to Bingham Memorial Hospital for medical treatment. Doctors at BMH later declared Mr. Hong deceased.
The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Original Story: An elderly man is dead and a driver is in custody after a car crashed into a Blackfoot home.
Authorities say the driver ran a stop sign and crashed into the garage of the house.
The accident started that house on fire and the home next door.
It happened Tuesday night just before 9:30 p.m. at the corner of Parkway and Lilac streets.
One person in the house died of smoke inhalation. No name is being released until next of kin can be notified.
Multiple units from the Blackfoot and Bingham county fire departments responded to the fire. Blackfoot police and Bingham County Sheriff’s Deputies are also investigating.
The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office suspects alcohol was involved.
