A 19-year-old Vancouver man appeared in court Friday to face a charge of vehicular assault six months after he allegedly caused a crash that severely injured a pedestrian.
Traffic detectives with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office wrapped up their monthslong investigation into the August crash with the arrest of Chancellor Pruett on Thursday.
Pruett was driving his 2006 Mazda Speed 6 west on Northwest 99th Street at a high rate of speed near of Columbia River High School, according to court documents.
At about 6:20 p.m., Pruett passed a vehicle using the right-turn-only lane in the 900 block of the street, then cut back into the westbound lane, crashing into an eastbound 1997 Silver BMW that was turning into a driveway, according to police.
The Mazda then continued forward and drove onto a sidewalk, where it struck Chase Pickens who had been walking west on 99th Street, according to court documents.
“The pedestrian impaled through the windshield and was vaulted over the roof of the Mazda, he came down in the roadway and tumbled to the point of rest more than 140 feet downrange from where he was walking,” court documents state.
Pickens, 17 at the time of the crash, suffered two badly broken legs, a severe head injury and other internal injuries, according to court documents.
“Some of his injuries will have lasting permanent effects,” the court document states.
“I would not wish this on anyone,” Pickens’ father, Craig Pickens, said in the days following the crash.
A donation account to help cover medical expenses was set up for the teen at OnPoint Community Credit Union and people donate at any branch.
Pickens is a junior at Skyview High School.
Video surveillance at Columbia River High School captured an image of the Mazda, and detectives calculated that Pruett’s vehicle was averaging 66 mph, according to court documents.
These investigations are lengthy, Sgt. Fred Neiman said, because of toxicology reports as well as a forensic investigation of the vehicles involved.
“We have to have the case put together for prosecution before we make the arrest,” he said.
In Friday’s court hearing, Judge Daniel Stahnke said Pruett hadn’t left the area during the six months of investigation, so Stahnke found no reason that Pruett would do so now. Stahnke set Pruett’s bail at $5,000.
Pruett is scheduled to be arraigned on March 20.
