Clark County detectives arrest one in October fatal crash in Walnut Grove

Clark County sheriff’s deputies are seeking more information about an October fatal crash in the Walnut Grove area after they arrested a Vancouver man Thursday on suspicion of vehicular homicide.

Gregory S. Bailey, 59, was booked into the Clark County Jail in connection with the Oct. 1 crash that killed 58-year-old Gerald Plato of Vancouver. Plato died from his injuries three days after the crash, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Investigators say Bailey was driving a Chevrolet Corvette north on Northeast St. Johns Road, traveling more than 100 mph. He was also under the influence of alcohol when he crashed into a Ford Escape, driven by Plato, traveling in the same direction, the news release states.

Emergency personnel responded at about 9:20 p.m. to the intersection with 102nd Street to find the Ford on its top and the Corvette crashed into a brick wall. Plato was pinned underneath the Ford. Both Plato and Bailey had to be extricated from their vehicles and were taken to area hospitals, the sheriff’s office previously said.

Witnesses statements and dash camera video indicate Bailey was racing with a white SUV just before the crash. The drivers of the vehicles were matching each other’s speeds, which far exceeded the posted 45 mph speed limit, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives have been unable to identify the driver or the make and model of the white SUV due to the poor quality of the video.

The sheriff’s office said the driver of the SUV is complicit in Plato’s death, and detectives want to speak to anyone involved. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact traffic detectives at 564-397-4597 and reference case number 22-9238.