Holly Lindsey, the Shoshone County sheriff in Idaho, resigned on October 22, 2025, one day after an off-duty hit-and-run crash in neighboring Kootenai County. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office later charged her with one count of misdemeanor inattentive driving. She had been the county’s first female sheriff.
The October 2025 Crash
On October 21, 2025, Lindsey was off duty and driving her personal vehicle in Kootenai County when she struck a fixed object and left the scene.1Coeur d’Alene Press. Lindsey Resigns as Shoshone County Sheriff The investigation ultimately focused on Lindsey striking a post at a gas station, though Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris initially indicated another vehicle may also have been involved.2KHQ. Shoshone County Sheriff Holly Lindsey Steps Down as Kootenai County Investigates Off-Duty Crash No injuries were reported.3KXLY. Shoshone County Sheriff Holly Lindsay Resigns, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Involvement in Car Crash
Kootenai County handled the investigation rather than Lindsey’s own department. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is the customary investigating agency when a sitting Idaho sheriff faces potential criminal charges, and Kootenai County assisted.4The Spokesman-Review. Idaho AG’s Office Pursues Criminal Charge Against Former County Sheriff
Resignation the Next Day
Lindsey submitted her resignation to the Shoshone County Commissioners on October 22, 2025.1Coeur d’Alene Press. Lindsey Resigns as Shoshone County Sheriff In her letter, posted to the sheriff’s office Facebook page, she wrote: “I have loved this community with everything that I have, but it is with a heavy heart that I must resign from the position of the Shoshone County Sheriff.”2KHQ. Shoshone County Sheriff Holly Lindsey Steps Down as Kootenai County Investigates Off-Duty Crash She said she hoped she had “left our beautiful county better than when I started.”
Undersheriff Lance Stutzke stepped in as interim sheriff. Because Lindsey had been elected as a Democrat, Idaho law required the Shoshone County Democratic Central Committee to submit three candidates to the commissioners within 15 days of the vacancy.1Coeur d’Alene Press. Lindsey Resigns as Shoshone County Sheriff
The Inattentive Driving Charge
On November 26, 2025, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office filed a criminal complaint charging Lindsey with one count of inattentive driving, a misdemeanor under Idaho Code Section 49-1401(3).5Idaho State Journal. Idaho AG’s Office Pursues Criminal Charge Against Former County Sheriff Court documents alleged that Lindsey “unlawfully operated a car in an inattentive, careless or imprudent manner and struck a pole at a gas station.”6KHQ. Former Shoshone County Sheriff Charged With Careless Driving
Under Idaho law, inattentive driving is a lesser offense than reckless driving. It applies when a driver’s conduct is careless or imprudent but not “heedless or wanton,” and the resulting danger to persons or property is slight.7Justia. Idaho Code Section 49-1401 A conviction carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $300 fine.4The Spokesman-Review. Idaho AG’s Office Pursues Criminal Charge Against Former County Sheriff
A summons was issued to Lindsey on December 1, 2025, with a court appearance scheduled for December 29, 2025, in Shoshone County Court.6KHQ. Former Shoshone County Sheriff Charged With Careless Driving No plea, trial date, or resolution of the case has been publicly reported.
Who Lindsey Was Before the Resignation
Lindsey served as a Shoshone County law enforcement officer for 21 years and rose to undersheriff under Sheriff Mike Gunderson.8Shoshone News-Press. Lindsey Sheriff When Gunderson retired for health reasons, the Board of Commissioners appointed her to replace him, and she was sworn in on December 12, 2022. The appointment made her the first woman to serve as sheriff in Shoshone County and, by local accounts, the first in most of North Idaho.9KHQ. Holly Lindsey Becomes First Woman Sheriff in Shoshone County
She was unopposed in the May 2024 Democratic primary and defeated Republican David Hildebrand in the November general election.10Shoshone News-Press. Shoshone County Election Results Her first full elected term began in January 2025.11Coeur d’Alene Press. Shoshone County Officials Discuss Future Plans She resigned less than ten months into it.
What Happened After She Left
Her departure set off months of turnover at the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office. The commissioners appointed William Eddy as her successor in November 2025, and Stutzke resigned as undersheriff the same day Eddy was sworn in. Eddy himself resigned on February 27, 2026, citing health and stress, after roughly three months in office.12KHQ. Shoshone County Sheriff Will Eddy Resigns
At least five administrative employees left the office between roughly January and May 2026, including Jail Captain Eli Lopez, who departed a week after Lindsey and cited severe staffing shortages and routinely working more than 60 hours a week.12KHQ. Shoshone County Sheriff Will Eddy Resigns On March 26, 2026, the commissioners swore in Shawn Wehr, a former U.S. Army Ranger and retired Los Angeles Police Department officer, as the third sheriff to hold the office in the five months since Lindsey’s resignation. Wehr will serve until January 2027.13Coeur d’Alene Press. Wehr Sworn in as Shoshone County Sheriff