BOISE - Ada County prosecutors say a Buhl man accused of hitting two state troopers with his pickup Thursday afternoon, yelled "shoot me, just shoot me," moments after ramming into them in the median of Interstate 84.
They say he was staying at a local motel, but was supposed to check out today. Turnovec has been hospitalized for schizophrenia and discharged from the military.
He was reportedly not on any type of medication yesterday and may have been off his meds for some time.
Around noon Thursday, Turnovec was cited by a Boise Police patrol officer for speeding and driving without insurance. Less than four hours later, witnesses say he was driving erratically and speeding on westbound I-84, weaving in and out of traffic. He then veered off the interstate and directly into the officers.
"Just in looking at the tire marks, he made no braking, he took no evasive action to try to avoid the troopers on their motorcycles," said Lt. Brian Zimmerman with the Idaho State Police. "The steering and the tire marks led right to where the bikes were parked. And in fact, a little bit of a correction right at the last minute to get both of them. Originally, they thought the vehicle was just pulling over for a motorist assist or question or something that happens frequently, but he actually had a little bit of time and actually attempted to get off his bike before impact. Sgt. Duggan didn't have that lead time and was on his bike at impact."
After the crash, Turnovec jumped out of his truck and started yelling at police. Prosecutors say he wanted the officers to shoot him. They believe his anger from the earlier traffic citation may have contributed to his behavior.
Turnovec's mother and stepdad live in Buhl, but family members say they have not heard from him in more than a year and live in fear that he will come home. They keep a gun under their pillow just in case.
The two injured troopers were taken to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
Cpl. Vance has since been treated for his injuries and released. Sgt. Duggan remains hospitalized in serious condition with a broken leg.
Police said they tested Turnovec to determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Those results are not available yet.
Idaho State Police initially said the investigation would be turned over to another police agency due to a conflict of interest, but now say they are leading the investigation.
We also learned today that Sgt. Duggan's wife is employed by the Ada County Prosecutor's office.
Turnovec is being held in the Ada County Jail on $500,000. He is due back in court on Nov. 6 for a preliminary hearing.
