A Vancouver man made a first appearance in Clark County Superior Court after he allegedly led police officers on a pursuit and crashed into parked cars, a portion of a house and an apartment complex.
Douglas Atkins, 41, appeared Thursday on suspicion of attempting to elude police, hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle and fourth-degree assault-domestic violence. The allegations stem from a Tuesday night incident that began with a report of an intoxicated man assaulting a woman in the street.
Vancouver police officers responded to the 3300 block of Grand Boulevard shortly before 10 p.m. As they arrived, the man, later identified as Atkins, fled south in a vehicle at speeds in excess of 60 mph. He hit an unoccupied vehicle in the process, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Several patrol cars gave chase, but Atkins refused to stop. He ran a red light at the intersection of Grand and Mill Plain boulevards and nearly struck a pickup, court records said.
Atkins’ vehicle drove off of the road in the 500 block of Grand Boulevard and drove through the porch of a house, police said. The vehicle then went airborne and crashed into two parked cars before careening down an embankment and landing against an apartment complex, police said.
Atkins was injured in the crash and transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center for treatment. A blood sample was also taken to determine if Atkins was driving under the influence, court records show.
During his Thursday hearing, Atkins was pushed into the courtroom in a wheelchair.
The female victim told police that Atkins punched her in the face, but she declined to cooperate further, the affidavit said. The two are known to each other, according to court documents.
The prosecution said Atkins has an extensive criminal history, including a stint in prison.
Judge Daniel Stahnke appointed defense attorney Jeff Sowder to represent Atkins and set his bail at $100,000, court records show.
He will be arraigned Dec. 10.
Columbian staff writer Emily Gillespie contributed to this report.
