Woman, kids not hurt when car hits duplex

A driver, apparently trying to avoid a Vancouver police officer late Friday night, crashed into a duplex apartment where a woman and her children were inside.

The woman and children weren’t reported injured in the crash at East 17th Street and Norris Road, just south of Fourth Plain Boulevard and east of Grand Boulevard.

But a passenger in the car was taken to a hospital — and the driver fled on foot and escaped, said Sgt. Patrick Johns with the Vancouver Police Department.

About 9:45 p.m. Friday, an officer tried to pull a 1994 Chrysler over for a traffic violation and its driver sped away.

The officer did not chase after the Chrysler because the situation “didn’t meet the department policy standards” for pursuits, Johns said.

Soon thereafter, however, the Chrysler crashed through two doors of the duplex and ended up wedged inside.

The passenger was taken to a hospital with injuries that didn’t appear life-threatening.

The driver fled and remained at large a few hours later; in fact, officers had no description of the driver to go on.

Very early Saturday, officers were checking the Chrysler’s registration in an attempt to learn who owns it, whether it’s stolen and who the driver was. It’s not easy, because sometimes cars are sold without proper paperwork to indicate who the new owner is, Johns said.