Man accused of hitting Vancouver patrol cars

A transient man who police say rammed several patrol cars made a first appearance Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court.

Montgomery A. Hedges, 21, appeared on suspicion of first-degree assault, two counts of hit-and-run, attempting to elude, second-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license, three counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

Vancouver police responded about 5:50 a.m. Monday after bystanders reported a driver slumped over the steering wheel of a running vehicle in a parking lot in the 13500 block of Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard. The car was in gear, and the driver’s foot was on the brake, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.

The first officer to arrive tried to talk to the driver, later identified as Hedges, but he appeared to be under the influence. Hedges took his foot off the brake, causing his car to collide into an unoccupied patrol vehicle, the affidavit states.

Other officers arrived to talk with Hedges, but he eventually rolled up his window, put the car into gear and drove into the unoccupied police vehicle again, according to court documents.

He then reversed and hit a different unoccupied police car, in his attempt to escape, and then smashed into an occupied police car, court records said.

After a short, high-speed pursuit, Hedges hit a tree and was boxed in by patrol cars, the affidavit said. No officers were injured.

Police found suspected methamphetamine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and testosterone hormone on Hedges. They also seized about $668 in cash and a scale from inside Hedges’ vehicle, court records said.

Hedges was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries before being booked into the Clark County Jail.

On Tuesday, Judge Robert Lewis appointed defense attorney Heather Carroll to represent Hedges and set bail at $50,000.

He will be arraigned June 24.