A Camas man who drove the wrong way on state Highway 14, causing a crash, was sentenced Thursday to 13 months in prison.
Kevin S. Wilson, 40, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court on Thursday to vehicular assault — DUI and felony hit-and-run, stemming from the Nov. 6 crash that injured two people. Wilson was driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the crash.
He was traveling east in the westbound lanes of the highway in a 2003 GMC pickup about 11:15 p.m. when he collided head-on with a 1985 Volkswagen Cabriolet. A third vehicle, a 2007 Toyota Camry, then crashed into the back of the Volkswagen, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
Wilson drove another 100 yards before stopping. He then left the pickup and fled on foot with his dog, court records said. Police found Wilson outside his house about a quarter-mile away.
Witnesses said they saw the pickup enter the highway from the Southeast 164th Avenue offramp, according to Washington State Patrol.
The driver of the Volkswagen, Dan S. Daley, 58, of Vancouver, suffered a laceration to the back of his head that required sutures. The driver of the Toyota, Ardon Derie, 62, of Vancouver, suffered unspecified minor injuries, according to the affidavit.
During Wilson’s hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Casey Vu said Wilson’s blood alcohol concentration tested at 0.15 at the time of the crash. The state’s legal limit to drive is 0.08 or less. Testing also showed he had about 5.8 nanograms per milliliter of THC — the active ingredient in marijuana — in his system at the time of the crash. The legal limit for driving is 5.0.
Neither of the victims were present at the hearing. However, a victim’s advocate read a statement from Daley about the impact the crash has had on his life.
Wilson’s defense attorney, Steven Rucker, told the court his client is a veteran who suffers from PTSD and was self-medicating. He said Wilson has since been undergoing substance abuse treatment.
“He’s a respectful person who made a mistake. He tragically hurt himself and, in the process, hurt others,” Rucker said.
Wilson told Judge Derek Vanderwood that the crash was the “darkest night of my life.”
“There’s no words to describe how incredibly sorry I am,” he said.
Vanderwood said he understands and appreciates Wilson’s diagnosis and willingness to seek treatment. However, he said Wilson can’t take back that night.
He agreed to follow the prosecution’s recommendation and ordered Wilson to serve 13 months in prison and 18 months of community custody. Wilson’s driver’s license was revoked, and he must pay more than $35,000 in restitution to Daley. He was given credit for 13 days in custody.
In exchange for pleading guilty, the prosecution agreed to dismiss a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver, which was from a separate case.
