A Woodland man is now charged with hit-and-run resulting in death after police say the woman he struck Jan. 11 in Battle Ground died almost two weeks later in the hospital.
Clarence “Butch” Holt II, 59, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court. A judge set Holt’s bail at $75,000, which records show he posted.
Battle Ground police said they were notified that the woman, 45-year-old Crystal Lee, was pronounced dead Jan. 22, according to court records.
Officers responded about 9:30 a.m. to the 3300 block of Main Street for a welfare check. Officers arrived to find Lee unresponsive near the entrance of the former VCA Animal Hospital office. She was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver with serious injuries, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Investigators determined she had been struck by a vehicle, and they seized debris from the road, including multiple vehicle parts, court records state.
Hospital staff told police they placed Lee in the intensive care unit, and she was in critical condition. They said she suffered from broken ribs and injuries to the back of her neck, according to the affidavit.
Officers viewed surveillance video from nearby businesses and residents, and determined the crash likely happened about 5:30 a.m., according to court records.
Employees at a Vancouver car dealership said they were able to match the numbers on the vehicle parts recovered by police to a newer Chevrolet Silverado 2500 or 3500. Officers then published a news release seeking tips about that type of vehicle, court records state.
On Jan. 15, investigators received a tip from a Woodland resident who reported a neighbor, whom he identified as Holt, drove that model of truck, and he said Holt arrived home Jan. 11 shortly before 6 a.m. He said his home surveillance video also captured Holt inspecting his truck the next day, according to the affidavit.
Police responded to the neighborhood to contact Holt. When they arrived, they saw the truck with damage that matched the parts officers found at the crash scene, court records state.
When officers spoke with Holt, they said he initially said he “didn’t hit anybody, it was a deer,” the affidavit states. Officers said he later told them something hit his truck, and he stopped to look but didn’t see anything, the affidavit states.
While police were driving Holt to the station for questioning, officers said Holt said things like, “that chick had to be out in the road, I stopped and I looked.” Officers said he also said, “She’s not doing too good, huh?”
Lee’s family created a GoFundMe for her funeral costs. It can be found at gofund.me/94c85ce9.
