Driver charged with drunken driving after pedestrian hit

Prosecutors have charged a man with felony drunken driving in connection with a September collision that left a teenage pedestrian with a broken neck.

Joseph Jefferies, 70, was arrested Wednesday. Police believe Jefferies was driving a vehicle that collided with 16-year-old Sunshine Bryden and her dog as they crossed a Kuna street on Sept. 2.

He has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea; court records do not show if he has obtained an attorney.

Bryden sustained a broken neck and broken leg in the collision, and her dog, Harley, sustained internal injuries. The teen’s mother, Carolyn Bryden, says Sunshine had surgery to put a titanium rod in her leg and is doing well more than a month after the crash. She said the dog has recovered from its injuries.

Ada County Sheriff’s Spokesman Patrick Orr said Sunshine Bryden traveled 72 feet after impact.

AP Only 2019