Two hurt, one critically, in alleged DUI crash into tree Sunday

Two people riding in the back of a car were hurt, with one in critical condition at a hospital, after their allegedly drunken driver lost control and hit a tree off state Highway 500 Sunday morning.

According to the Washington State Patrol, Skyler P. Scott, 19, of Vancouver, was heading east on Highway 500 around 6:40 a.m., and allegedly was drunk.

About a mile east of Vancouver, “passenger activity inside the vehicle” distracted Scott, which led to him losing control of his Pontiac Vibe.

The car went off the roadway and struck a tree, then came to rest in someone’s yard.

Two 19-year-old passengers, Aaron Donald of Vancouver and Sadie Akers of Washougal, were hurt. The state patrol said they weren’t wearing seat belts.

The two were taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. Donald was listed as in critical condition Sunday afternoon, according to the hospital, and Akers was discharged later that day.

Scott and another passenger, a juvenile, were unhurt.

The state patrol said drunken driving and inattention caused the crash, and recommended charges of vehicular assault and felony hit and run for Scott.