UPDATE: Vancouver woman charged in crash that killed Oregon boy
Officers allege that driver showed signs of impairment
By Paul Suarez
Published: January 9, 2012, 12:00am
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A Vancouver woman has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in Beaverton, Ore., after a three-car collision killed a 10-year-old boy and sent two others to the hospital.
Paige D. Couch, 38, was arraigned Monday in Washington County Circuit Court on manslaughter and a third-degree assault charge. She is being held in the Washington County Jail on $250,000 bail, a Beaverton Police Department bulletin said.
The crash happened around 7:45 p.m. Sunday on the 3800 block of Southwest Canyon Road. A Chevy Avalanche driven by Couch was traveling eastbound, crossed the center line, sideswiped a Toyota Prius and ran into an Acura TL sedan, the release said.
A 10-year-old boy in the Acura, David Kardashov, was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy’s mother, Vera Kardashov, 48, was transported to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and is in critical condition. A 15-year-old boy who was also in the car, Alex Kardashov, was transported for precautionary reasons, police said. He was released from the hospital with minor bumps and bruises.
The family lives in Beaverton, and the boys are homeschooled; David also took additional classes at an elementary school east of Beaverton.
The driver of the Prius, Michael Montag, 31, of Portland, was uninjured.
Police arrived and found all occupants of the Avalanche standing outside the truck. The occupants, who were uninjured from the crash, did not immediately identify the driver, police said. Investigators later determined Couch had beendriving, the release said.
The Avalanche had front-end damage and the front wheel was sheared off the vehicle. The Acura had extensive damage on the driver’s side and the Prius had little damage.
Officers noticed Couch allegedly showed signs of alcohol impairment, according to the news release. The investigation is ongoing.
Couch has a preliminary court hearing Jan. 17.
Reporter Laura McVicker contributed to this report.