A judge set bail at $200,000 Thursday for a Woodland man accused of vehicular homicide in a crash two nights earlier that killed a 76-year-old Vancouver man.
Investigators said Tyler G. Peabody was under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he is allegedly crashed his Mustang head-on into an oncoming Subaru.
Peabody made his first appearance in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. Roy E. Thorp was killed in the collision and 23-year-old Patrick Wisniewski and 72-year-old Constance Jones were injured.
Thursday was Peabody’s 21st birthday.
Judge Robert Lewis appointed defense attorney Lou Byrd to represent him and set arraignment for Aug. 26.
Witness accounts
According to court documents, witnesses reported seeing Peabody driving at a high rate of speed when he allegedly made an illegal pass in a no-passing zone in the 1100 block of Northwest Hayes Road along the North Fork of the Lewis River.
After he lost control of the car, it started to rotate and then crossed into the eastbound lane, hitting a Subaru Impreza driven by Thorp, according to the documents.
Sheriff’s deputies responded at about 6:30 p.m. Thorp was found dead at the scene, according to court documents.
Peabody and his passenger, Wisniewski, and Thorp’s passenger, Jones, were rushed to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. Wisniewski and Jones, who both suffered serious injuries (Jones’ back was broken), were listed Thursday in satisfactory condition.
A deputy with drug recognition training interviewed Peabody at the hospital, according to court documents, and determined he “was under the influence of intoxicating liquor and/or drugs at the time of the collision.”
When he was released from the hospital, Peabody was immediately arrested.
Court documents did not reveal other details of the interview with Peabody.
Peabody is unemployed and lives with his parents in Woodland. He previously had a heroin problem, court documents allege.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516; laura.mcvicker@columbian.com; www.facebook.com/reportermcvicker; www.twitter.com/col_courts.
