February 21, 2025—Canyon County Prosecutor Christopher Boyd announced that Donald L. Davis, age 79, of Middleton, was sentenced on February 18, 2025, by the Honorable Randall S. Grove for the crime of Vehicular Manslaughter with gross negligence. Davis pleaded guilty to the crime in November 2024.
Donald L. Davis
Judge Grove sentenced Davis to a unified sentence of eight (8) years in prison, requiring the defendant to serve 1 ½ years fixed, followed by 6 ½ years indeterminate. Judge Grove also suspended Davis’s driver’s license for five (5) years following his release from prison. Davis was also ordered to pay a $5,000 civil penalty to the victim’s family and submit a DNA sample to the Idaho database.
On July 28, 2023, Davis was driving a Toyota RAV4 southbound on Midland Blvd when he failed to yield at a stop sign at US 20-26 and collided with a motorcycle driven by 46-year-old Shane Ferguson of Boise. Ferguson was pronounced dead at the scene. According to court documents, Davis was sitting behind another vehicle that was stopped at the stop sign on Midland Blvd, waiting to turn onto US 20-26. The driver of that vehicle told ISP investigators that Davis was honking at her to go. Multiple witnesses stated Davis then drove onto the right shoulder to get around the car in front of him before pulling out into oncoming traffic and causing the fatal collision.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Grove spoke about Davis’s lack of remorse, noting that Davis seemed more concerned about the damage to his car than Ferguson. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Grove also admonished Davis for his behavior, telling him, “You are focusing on all but the most important thing. You caused another man’s death.”
“I applaud Deputy Prosecutor Scott Vermeer for stepping in to take over a difficult case where a binding plea offer was made prior to my administration,” said Prosecutor Chris Boyd. “I would also like to express my appreciation to Judge Grove for his wisdom and compassion for the victims in our community. I can only hope that the end of this case provides some measure of closure for the victims.”