Deputies: Intoxicated man leaves crash scene at WinCo

A Portland man was arrested after he allegedly caused a three-vehicle collision just before 4 p.m. Monday on Highway 99 in front of the Hazel Dell WinCo and then left the scene.

Raphael Ancheta was driving a sedan north on Highway 99 where it intersects with Northeast 96th Way. At the intersection, he turned west to head into the WinCo store’s parking lot, but he didn’t yield the right of way to an oncoming flatbed truck, Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Randon Walker said.

The truck driver veered to avoid a T-bone collision and struck the front end of the sedan. The two vehicles then slid and crashed into another sedan that was waiting for a traffic light to change so it could leave the WinCo parking lot, Walker said.

Ancheta’s passenger and the woman who had been waiting at the light were both transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center and later released.

The truck driver, who was with the Vancouver-based company Garrett Sign Co., was not injured. Their names were not released.

After the crash, Ancheta walked toward WinCo. The truck driver followed him and called 911. The pair argued near the front of the grocery store, and Ancheta claimed his brother was driving the sedan, Walker said. The truck driver said he saw Ancheta driving and asked that he return to the collision scene.

Although they returned to the site of the crash, Raphael walked off again and was intercepted by Deputy Lindsay Schultz. She arrested Ancheta on suspicion of hit and run and driving under the influence, Walker said.

Walker said Ancheta appeared heavily intoxicated and had soiled himself.