A Vancouver woman was sentenced Friday to more than four years in prison for hitting a man with her car following an argument.
Elizabeth Nicole Snook, 46, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to second-degree assault. She was originally charged with second-degree attempted murder.
Snook agreed to the 50-month sentence, which was greater than the standard sentencing range, according to Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Smith.
Smith said the reduced charge was primarily because the prosecutor’s office couldn’t get in contact with the victim in the case.
A hit-and-run was reported at 1:17 a.m. July 20, 2022, at a residence at 12211 S.E. Seventh St., in east Vancouver. Medical personnel responded and took the victim, identified as Alfonso Johnson, to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Johnson reported he was hit by Snook, according to court records, which do not state the nature of their relationship.
When officers arrived at the hospital, they found Johnson suffering from a collapsed lung and several broken ribs, in addition to a broken ankle. Johnson told police he was in the garage when Snook began arguing with him, called him a racial slur and then hit him with her car, the affidavit states.
A doctor told officers Johnson was lucky and that if he hadn’t made it to the hospital when he did, he would have died, court records state.
The homeowner told police he came home to find Johnson partly in the garage and partly inside the house. He said Johnson told him Snook hit him, according to the affidavit. A prosecutor said during Snook’s first appearance hearing that Snook is the homeowner’s daughter, and the homeowner told officers Snook suffers from mental health problems.
Johnson said he gave Snook $20 for groceries. Later, she pulled her car into the garage and didn’t have groceries. The two began arguing over the money, according to the affidavit.
Johnson said Snook got back in her car and drove forward, hitting him and knocking him over. He said she got out, stood over him and told him to die before leaving. Court records state Snook closed the garage door when she left with Johnson injured inside.
He said he was incapacitated after he was hit and tried to crawl inside, court records state.
