Two teenagers ran from the car they were in after a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 5 northbound just north of Main Street, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn.
The 2002 Honda Accord crashed into a barrier a few minutes after 2 p.m., Finn said. A 911 caller said the vehicle had been speeding and driving recklessly.
Following the crash, a man and a woman got out of the vehicle and jumped over the freeway barrier onto Burnt Bridge Creek Trail, Finn said.
As they ran, one of them reportedly yelled that it was a friend’s car he was driving.
Witnesses offered descriptions of the pair; the woman was wearing a black and white dress, and the man was wearing a red shirt. Troopers caught the pair within a half hour at Northeast 15th Avenue and Northeast 48th Circle, and brought them back to the crash scene for questioning. Troopers continued interviewing witnesses and called the registered owner of the vehicle.
Troopers saw closed alcohol containers inside the vehicle. Both suspects refused to answer questions about where they were headed and where they were coming from.
The driver, Jade Michael Stewart, 19, of Grayland was arrested and booked into the Clark County Jail on accusations of driving under the influence, reckless driving and hit and run. His passenger, Cheyanne Onata Hirt, 19, of Vancouver was cited for suspicion of minor in possession of alcohol. She was given a court date.
