Idaho Woman Accused of Drunken Attack on Officer

April 05--TWIN FALLS --Police have accused a Kimberly woman of battery on an officer after she allegedly kicked an Idaho State Police corporal in the groin during a traffic stop.

Kelli Jean Crane, 41, was charged Friday with driving under the influence, resisting or obstructing officers, driving with an open container of alcohol, reckless driving and battery on an officer Friday traffic stop. Idaho State Police responded to a 5 p.m. call of an injury crash involving a white Dodge Avenger on U.S. Highway 93 near Hollister. Emergency responders also received several reports of a suspected drunken driver piloting a vehicle of the same description.

The ISP corporal approached the area and saw a white, 2012 Dodge Avenger passing other vehicles and crossing the double yellow line, eventually driving directly toward the officer's patrol car. When a traffic stop was made, the woman, later identified as Crane, began to move throughout the car as it began to roll forward because it wasn't in park.

In court records, the corporal said he yelled at Crane to put her hands on the steering wheel, but she continued to move around in the car.

"I drew my handgun and demanded multiple times for her to put her hands on her steering wheel before she did," he wrote.

After Crane allegedly continued to be uncooperative, the corporal said he handcuffed her and held her on the hood of the car to wait for backup when it appeared that she was trying to return to the vehicle.

A Twin Falls County sheriff's deputy arrived and the two carried the woman to the patrol car. The ISP corporal said Crane tried to get out of her handcuffs, so he put her in leg restraints. As the corporal had Crane sit down again, he said she kicked both her feet into his groin area.

After Crane was contained, the corporal said he found a cold Coors Light bottle in the center console that was about a quarter full. Crane was transported to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center for a blood draw and had to be restrained during the procedure, police say.

A preliminary hearing for the battery charge is scheduled for April 13. A pretrial hearing for the DUI, resisting, open container and reckless driving charges is scheduled for May 15.