Vancouver man gets 50 months for high-speed chase

KELSO — Jeffrey Randall Christie, who led deputies on a high-speed chase and injured a woman when he crashed into her car, was sentenced Tuesday to 50 months in prison and received a judicial rebuke for his lack of remorse.

Christie, 26, of Vancouver pleaded guilty April 21 to theft of a motor vehicle, eluding police in a manner that endangered others and vehicular assault, which is his second “strike” under the state’s persistent violent offender “three strikes” law. Officers chased him from Longview to Woodland.

Christie was charged in the Oct. 28 incident along with his passenger, Bob Helmut Baumgarten, 56, another Vancouver resident. In December, Baumgarten was sentenced to 22 months in prison after pleading guilty to theft of a motor vehicle, having burglary tools (shaved keys) and resisting arrest.

The victim of the assault told Judge James Stonier at Christie’s sentencing that when Christie crashed a stolen Subaru Legacy into her car, the impact broke her hand and a finger. She only has partial movement of her wrist, has difficulty typing and “can’t even open a doorknob,” she said.

Christie chose not to speak. Defense attorney Kevin Blondin told Stonier his client intended to go straight after leaving prison for a previous offense in Clark County, but his friends from the past regained their influence. Stonier rejected that call for leniency.

“Your attorney said you ran with the wrong crowd,” Stonier told Christie. “I’m of the opinion, looking at your history, that you are the wrong crowd.”

Stonier chided Christie for his silence toward the victim and for rolling his eyes when he (Stonier) spoke.

“It’s too bad you can’t even apologize on the record for somebody you injured,” Stonier said. “You need to get control of your life. You’re 26 years old and you’re acting like a teenager.”