Motorcyclist sentenced in injury crash

A Vancouver man who crashed his motorcycle, critically injuring his passenger, and then fled the scene was sentenced Friday in Clark County Superior Court to 13 months.

Justin Robert Kolke, 27, pleaded guilty to hit-and-run injury accident stemming from the early-morning crash on May 16.

He originally was accused of vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run, both domestic violence-related charges. However, in exchange for his guilty plea, the prosecution agreed to dismiss the vehicular assault charge.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on May 16 Clark County sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Preston spotted three vehicles traveling recklessly near Northeast 70th Street and Northeast 72nd Avenue.

A search ensued. Shortly thereafter, Deputy Jon Pound found a motorcycle lying on its side and a male rider standing next to it in the 7300 block of Northeast 62nd Avenue. The man ran, and Pound found an injured passenger on the ground behind the motorcycle. The passenger, identified as Ashley Zumbrennen, was taken to a hospital for treatment.

During his hearing, Kolke’s defense attorney, Chris Ramsey, said the situation was caused by “poor decision-making” on his client’s part.

Kolke was given credit for 37 days in custody.