Vancouver man in court in December fatal crash

A Vancouver man who allegedly caused a rollover crash north of Camas, killing a woman who was four months pregnant, was driving with a blood-alcohol level two times over the legal limit, court records state.

Arthur A. Shchukin, 30, made a first appearance Thursday in Clark County Superior Court in connection with the December crash. He is accused in the death of 32-year-old Alina Pozhar of Vancouver, who was a passenger in his vehicle.

Shortly after 8 p.m. Dec. 17, Shchukin was driving a 2006 BMW 320i north in the 3400 block of Northeast Cavitt Road when he took a curve too fast. The BMW slid off the road and hit a tree, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Superior Court. Pozhar died at the scene.

Shchukin admitted to Clark County sheriff’s deputies that he was driving too fast and was “showing off” his driving skills, the affidavit states.

Toxicology testing found that Shchukin had a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 about three hours after the crash. And a toxicology analysis completed at the time of his admittance to a hospital showed his blood-alcohol level was more than two times the legal limit. In Washington, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 is considered evidence of drunken driving.

Deputy Prosecutor Patrick Robinson said Thursday that Shchukin has prior criminal history involving alcohol, including multiple convictions for being a minor in possession and negligent driving.

Judge Robert Lewis set his bail at $75,000. He will be arraigned Aug. 17.