A Battle Ground man who was driving under the influence of heroin when he caused a crash on state Highway 502, injuring his passenger, received a 13-month sentence Wednesday.
Howard E. Morrow, 37, previously pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to vehicular assault-DUI stemming from the March 11 crash.
According to court records, the crash occurred just before 9:40 p.m. when a Chevrolet S-10 pickup driven by Morrow turned into the path of an oncoming vehicle while traveling from westbound Highway 502 onto the northbound Interstate 5 onramp.
The pickup was totaled in the crash, as was the other vehicle, a midsize Chevrolet pickup driven by Jorge A. Alvarez Baca of Woodland. Alvarez Baca was uninjured.
A passenger in Morrow’s vehicle, Chance R. Newbill, suffered a broken collarbone and ribs and a collapsed lung, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Morrow told Washington State Patrol troopers that he had used heroin about two to three hours before the collision, the affidavit states. A search warrant was obtained and two vials of Morrow’s blood were taken for testing.
On Wednesday, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Kasey Vu said the toxicology test found that Morrow had morphine in his system, a derivative of heroin.
Morrow’s defense attorney, Christopher Dumm, said his client has a substance abuse problem and is remorseful for his actions.
Morrow told Judge Scott Collier that he didn’t intend to hurt anyone.
Collier followed the attorneys’ agreed-upon sentencing recommendation. Morrow was given credit for 187 days in custody.
