Man Arrested After Allegedly Hitting Woman with Truck, Fleeing, and Being Caught with Drugs

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 36-year-old local man is behind bars after deputies say he hit a woman with his truck during a domestic dispute and fled the scene, only to be caught the following night with methamphetamine and marijuana in his vehicle.

Jacob Luke Burns was arrested Wednesday evening, July 22, by Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies following a traffic stop near Iona Road and 15th East.

Deputies had been actively searching for Burns in connection with an incident that took place the day before.

The Storage Unit Incident

On Tuesday afternoon, July 21, deputies were called to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC), where a woman was being treated for injuries to her head and extremities.

The victim told investigators she and Burns had gotten into a heated argument at a storage facility near Iona Road and 15th East earlier that day. She claimed that as Burns tried to drive off in his pickup truck, she held onto the vehicle. As Burns drove away, she was thrown against the edge of the building before being pulled under the truck. Burns then drove away, leaving her injured.

Despite her injuries, the woman managed to get to her car and drive to a friend's house, who helped take her to the hospital.

While at EIRMC, the deputies observed physical evidence corroborating her story, states the release. They later obtained surveillance footage from a nearby business that captured the entire incident. According to investigators, the video showed Burns driving away as the vehicle hit the victim, even showing the back end of the truck bouncing up as it ran over part of her body.

A Conflicting Report

During the initial investigation on July 21, investigators say Burns contacted dispatch himself and spoke with a deputy by phone.

Burns claimed the woman had repeatedly hit him during the argument while he was trying to get away. He later told deputies that he was unaware his truck had struck her and stated he wanted to press domestic battery charges against her.

Traffic Stop and Arrest

The following night, July 22, around 8 p.m., a BCSO deputy spotted Burns driving near the same intersection as the storage facility and pulled him over into a traffic stop.

As he approached Burns' vehicle, the deputy saw that Burns showed signs of impairment and noted a strong smell of marijuana coming from inside the truck.

A search of Burn's pickup uncovered 16 grams of Methamphetamine, 20 grams of Marijuana, and multiple items of drug paraphernalia and packaging materials consistent with illegal drug distribution

Burns was taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Bonneville County Jail.

He now faces felony charges for Leaving the Scene of an Injury Crash and Possession of Methamphetamine, along with misdemeanor charges for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.