Vancouver woman faces vehicular assault charge in crash

A 25-year-old Vancouver woman — already on probation for DUI — faces vehicular assault charges for allegedly driving drunk Sunday night and crashing into a car and two motorcyclists. One rider was sent to a hospital.

Olga V. Kolesnik appeared in Clark County Superior Court on Monday in a suicide-prevention smock given to prisoners who may try to harm themselves with their clothing.

Judge Scott Collier found probable cause to charge Kolesnik. He told her she does not qualify for a court-appointed attorney and said she will have to hire her own.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court, police responded to a vehicle collision shortly after 8:30 p.m. near East Mill Plain Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. Three witnesses said they observed a white BMW, driven by Kolesnik, traveling at high speed east on Mill Plain Boulevard. The BMW took a sharp turn in a reckless manner and skidded sideways at Lincoln Avenue, striking another BMW and two motorcycles. One motorcyclist was transported to the hospital and treated for a broken femur.

A female passenger told police that after the collision they attempted to switch places so it appeared the passenger was driving. She said they did so because Kolesnik was more intoxicated than her, according to court documents.

Kolesnik allegedly told police she consumed two beers and a shot of alcohol prior to the crash. She also repeatedly denied driving the BMW, even after she was told multiple people saw her driving, court records said. Kolesnik reportedly provided a preliminary breath test result of 0.282. The state’s legal limit to drive is a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 or less.

On Monday, Kolesnik asked if she could be released, as she has a job. Collier set bail at $40,000.

Kolesnik is scheduled to be arraigned May 1.