Vancouver woman accused of drunken driving in crash

A Vancouver woman accused of driving drunk and causing a collision on state Highway 500, which injured her passenger, made a first appearance Monday in Clark County Superior Court.

Michelle L. Smith, 41, appeared on suspicion of vehicular assault while driving under the influence stemming from the Thursday crash at the intersection of state Highway 500 and Falk Road.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Washington State Patrol troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash after a westbound SUV turned left onto Falk Road in front of another SUV traveling east. A witness who remained at the scene told troopers she saw Smith leave one of the vehicles from the driver’s side.

Troopers said Smith appeared to be dazed and incoherent. When asked what happened, she said she didn’t know, the affidavit states.

Smith denied being one of the drivers or consuming any alcohol before the crash. However, a trooper said she could smell the odor of alcohol coming from Smith, and said her eyes were watery and droopy. Smith agreed to take a voluntary field-sobriety test. Afterward, she admitted to driving the vehicle but said she hadn’t had much to drink before, according to court documents.

Her passenger, Renee Fair, told troopers that she wasn’t the one driving. She suffered a fractured knee in the crash, court records said.

Smith’s license was reportedly suspended in relation to a May 9 incident, the affidavit states, and she was supposed to have an ignition interlock device in her vehicle; but she didn’t have one.

On Monday, Judge Robert Lewis set Smith’s bail at $40,000. She will be arraigned June 2.