A Vancouver woman accused of driving drunk when she crashed into a tree, injuring her passenger, appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court.
Kia M. Halsey, 21, faces an allegation of vehicular assault stemming from the early Wednesday morning crash.
Vancouver police were dispatched to the intersection of Southeast 172nd Avenue and First Street for a single-vehicle crash. Upon arrival, officers found a car had crashed into a tree, and two people were outside the vehicle, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A passenger in the vehicle, Josue Valdez, 32, was bleeding from the face and required medical attention. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police later learned he suffered a broken nose, the affidavit said.
Halsey admitted to police that she had been driving. She said she was turning east onto Southeast First Street from northbound 172nd Avenue. As she was turning, she saw a vehicle driving toward them on First Street. She said she tried to speed up and lost control of the vehicle, ramming into the tree, court records said.
Police said they could smell alcohol coming from Halsey and noticed other signs of impairment. Halsey allegedly admitted to drinking two glasses of champagne four hours before the crash, according to court documents. A preliminary breath test estimated she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.105 percent. Two additional breath tests were administered at the Clark County Jail and estimated Halsey had a blood-alcohol level of 0.089 percent and 0.091 percent, the affidavit said.
On Thursday, Judge Scott Collier granted Halsey supervised release but ordered she must either have an ignition interlock device installed in her vehicle or take a prescription drug to deter alcohol consumption. Defense attorney Jon McMullen appeared on Halsey’s behalf.
She will be arraigned Jan. 26.
