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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Driver pleads not guilty in deadly Halloween crash

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A driver accused of striking and killing 7-year-old Cadence Boyer who was trick-or-treating Halloween night in Vancouver pleaded not guilty today to vehicular homicide and three counts of vehicular assault.

Duane C. Abbott, 47, of Vancouver is scheduled to be tried on the charges May 4 in Clark County Superior Court.

As Abbott appeared today in front of Judge Robert Lewis, about a dozen of Boyer’s family and friends held up photos of the girl.

“We want the max for him,” said Boyer’s grandmother, Cathy Boyer. “There is no reason why he should be out, no possible way.

“You wake up during the night wishing it was a nightmare.”

Abbott is accused of being impaired by marijuana when his 1967 Ford Mustang struck the girl; her mother, Annie Arnold, 32; Chelina Alsteen, 30; and 6-year-old Ava Carrodus at about 8:20 p.m. on a sidewalk along Northeast 112th Avenue in east Vancouver. Cadence Boyer was dressed up as Batgirl.

Arnold has been released from the hospital and is recovering from a crushed pelvis, broken shoulder, broken arm and a broken vertebra, among other injuries, family members said today.

Alsteen remains in serious condition at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, said hospital spokesman Randy Querin. Ava Carrodus was discharged from Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel Nov. 7.

Meanwhile, Abbott has retained Vancouver attorney Steven Thayer to defend him against the charges.

“We don’t have any forensic evidence in our discovery that would confirm our client’s ability to drive was impaired by alcohol, marijuana or any other drug,” Thayer said in a phone interview with The Columbian.

Warrants were served to take Abbott’s blood while he was recovering in the hospital from injuries from the crash and to test the blood for intoxicants, Thayer said.

“As far as we know, no test results have been rendered,” he said.

According to court documents, Abbott told police he was changing lanes on northbound Northeast 112th Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle and drove onto the sidewalk, striking the victims and a utility pole.

He said he smokes 2 to 3 grams of marijuana daily and had smoked his last joint three hours before the crash, court records say.

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