A Vancouver woman allegedly had a blood-alcohol level four times the legal limit when she crashed her pickup into another vehicle injuring that driver in September.
Ana Y. Coronado, 51, appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of vehicular assault in connection with the Sept. 7 crash.
At about 3:35 p.m., Clark County sheriff’s deputies responded with Clark County Fire District 6 and American Medical Response to a two-vehicle collision at Northeast Hazel Dell Avenue and Northeast 99th Street, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Coronado had turned south onto Hazel Dell Avenue from eastbound 99th Street in a 2007 Toyota Yaris. While turning, she crossed the center line and entered the northbound left lane, where she struck a 2014 Ford Focus that was traveling north in the turn lane. The driver of the Focus, 82-year-old Elsie Wolff, was injured and transported to Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center for treatment. She suffered a fractured sternum, the affidavit states.
Deputies said that while speaking with Coronado, her speech was slurred, her face was flushed, and her eyes were bloodshot and watery. She reportedly admitted to deputies and medical personnel that she had been drinking before the crash, court records said.
When she was finished speaking with medical personnel, Coronado put her seat belt on and tried to drive away. Her keys were not in the ignition, however. She said she needed to go to work, according to court documents. Court records show that she is a Spanish teacher at a Vancouver private school.
Deputies ordered Coronado out of the pickup. As she left the vehicle, she nearly fell and had to be assisted while walking, the affidavit states.
The deputy asked her what she had to drink and asked if it was wine. Coronado said it was “something much stronger” and that she had “a lot” of it. She told medical personnel that she drank vodka. She also allegedly told deputies that she believed she was drunk and subsequently failed field sobriety tests, the affidavit said.
A preliminary breath test taken about a half hour after the crash registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.302, court records state. In Washington, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or more is considered evidence of drunken driving.
Coronado was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and her blood was drawn for further testing. Toxicology tests found she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.32 about two hours after the crash, court documents show.
During her first appearance, Judge Derek Vanderwood set Coronado’s bail at $10,000. She will be arraigned March 2.
