The driver accused in a hit-and-run crash that injured a 5-year-old boy Friday in Washougal told police she didn’t mean to hit him. Her passenger confirmed that she attempted to stop but it was too late, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Clark County Superior Court.
Marsha Yumi Perry, 36, of Washougal, appeared in court Monday morning on allegations of hit-and-run injury and driving while her license was suspended. The prosecution said it may file an additional charge of vehicular assault.
During the hearing, Perry showed concern for the boy’s condition and asked if he is “all right.”
The boy was struck shortly before 6:15 p.m. in the 1500 block of North 22nd Street by a northbound pickup truck. He had just emerged from a driveway riding a plastic tricycle, Washougal police Sgt. Geoff Reijonen said.
The boy’s face was cut and his knees and shoulders were scraped. He was transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. The responding officer said he observed a cut on the boy’s upper lip that would need stitches, court documents said.
According to court records, the boy was struck by the driver’s side front bumper and knocked off his tricycle onto the roadway. A witness said the driver, later identified by police as Perry, got out and checked on the boy before attempting to flee the scene.
A passenger in the pickup said he saw the boy riding down the driveway and yelled for Perry to stop, but it was too late. Another witness said he heard tires skidding and went outside to see what happened. He saw the boy laying in the road, according to the affidavit.
That same witness reported that Perry tried to drive away in the pickup, but he got in front of it to stop her from leaving. The driver then left the vehicle and ran north toward Washougal River Road. The witness attempted to chase her, and told police which way she was headed, court records said.
Washougal police Officer Kyle Day and his K-9 partner, Ranger, tracked Perry to a field south of the 1800 block of Woodburn Road. She reportedly had hidden in a shallow hole and covered herself with soil. She surrendered with Ranger only feet away — and after she had been warned twice that the dog would bite her, Reijonen said.
Police said they do not believe alcohol or drugs were a factor in the incident.
On Monday, the prosecution asked Judge Daniel Stahnke to set Perry’s bail at $200,000, citing a concern for the boy’s potential injuries and the safety of the community. Perry reportedly has dozens of prior offenses and warrants.
Stahnke appointed attorney Barry Brandenburg to represent Perry and set her bail at $100,000 for the latest charges. Perry also has a pending case in drug court, where she is to appear Friday. She is next scheduled to appear in the hit-and-run case May 8.
