<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Man in court in I-205 injury hit-and-run

Samaritan Irvine being moved to hospice care

By
Published:

A good Samaritan who was struck by a minivan on Interstate 205 last week when he stopped to help a hit-and-run crash victim is being moved to hospice care, his family said Thursday.

Richard Irvine, 63, of Camas was listed in critical condition Thursday at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.

“Sadly, Rich has not improved since the accident,” his wife, Debby Irvine, said in a prepared statement. “His medical team has helped us to understand that Richard will not recover from these injuries.”

Joshua C. Frahm, 28, is accused of causing the sequence of collisions on northbound I-205 near Burton Road that injured Irvine and Steven Klase, 25, of Battle Ground and then driving away. Frahm later reported his vehicle as stolen, according to investigators.

Frahm, who has a history of driving-related offenses, appeared in Clark County Superior Court on Thursday on suspicion of two counts of vehicular assault, one count of felony hit-and-run and one count of filing a false report.

“He falsely reported the vehicle as being stolen (after the crash) when there is surveillance video that seems to refute that,” said Deputy Prosecutor Dan Gasperino.

According to court papers, Frahm was driving erratically on northbound I-205 just before 6 a.m. Dec. 7 when his white Ford F-150 pickup collided with the rear end of Klase’s northbound Honda CRV. The CRV, which was in the right lane, veered across all of the northbound lanes and struck a concrete median. Frahm then fled the crash scene, Gasperino said.

Klase was seriously injured, including fracturing his left leg, Gasperino said. Irvine apparently saw the crash and stopped on the right shoulder of the interstate to assist Klase.

While Irvine was on the phone with 911, a Honda Odyssey minivan driven by Fredy Delacruz-Moreno, 41, collided with the passenger side of the CRV, which was blocking part of the roadway. The impact thrust the CRV into Irvine.

Both Klase and Irvine were transported to the hospital. Klase has since been released.

“After much discussion and prayer, we have made the choice to move Rich from the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit to a unit where he is receiving care to ensure his comfort,” Debby Irvine said. “His feeding tubes and electronic sensors have been removed, and he is breathing on his own. Friends and relatives from across the country are arriving to show their support for Rich and our family, and we are deeply appreciative of their presence as we all prepare to say goodbye to him together.”

Just after 2 p.m. on the day of the crash, Frahm reported that his pickup had been stolen, according to a court affidavit by State Patrol Trooper Justin Maier.

Frahm claimed that he left the pickup parked outside his sister’s residence between 9 and 10 p.m. Dec. 6 and noticed that his vehicle was missing after he woke up at noon Dec. 7, Maier wrote. However, surveillance video showed Frahm driving his pickup away from an apartment complex parking lot and traveling eastbound on Eighth Street at 5:41 a.m. Dec. 7, about 17 minutes before the crash, Maier wrote.

On the night of Dec. 7, police found the pickup abandoned in Vancouver and traced it back to Frahm. Clark County sheriff’s deputies then located Frahm and arrested him on an unrelated District Court warrant.

Frahm was in the process of being discharged from the Clark County Jail on Wednesday afternoon when he was arrested on suspicion of the new charges.

State Patrol detectives also found several vehicle parts, including a grill, headlight assembly pieces and white paint chips, at the scene of the crash, Maier wrote.

Frahm has an extensive criminal history. Fourteen out of his last 17 criminal cases have gone to warrant status, Gasperino said. Several of his past criminal cases are driving related. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to first-degree negligent driving, which was amended down from a driving-under-the-influence charge, Gasperino said. He also was convicted of driving with a suspended license at least five times since 2007. Some of his other crimes include use of drug paraphernalia, malicious mischief, vehicle prowl and theft, Gasperino said.

Judge Scott Collier held Frahm in jail Thursday in lieu of $200,000.

“The allegation here is running … not taking responsibility, a cover-up,” Collier explained. “That causes some concern about the responsibility you’ll take in dealing with this head-on.”

The judge said Frahm doesn’t qualify for a court-appointed attorney because of his income and will need to hire an attorney if he wants legal representation in his defense. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Dec. 31.

“My only hope is I don’t lose my job,” Frahm told the judge.

Irvine was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army this holiday season. On Wednesday, several members of the Rotary Club of Greater Clark County substituted for him during his bell-ringing shift. They said they also hoped to raise awareness about his medical needs.

More than $32,000 had been raised online as of Thursday at www.gofundme.com/ig105w to help pay for Irvine’s medical bills.

Irvine’s wife thanked members of the community for their prayers, well wishes and support.

“We have been touched by the kind words and deeds of people who never met Rich but were moved by the story of his generous nature,” she said.

Loading...