Police have identified the suspect in a hit-and-run of a pedestrian Friday night in downtown Vancouver that sent a man to the hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The Vancouver Police Department identified Christopher Nichols as the suspect in a news release.
Nichols, 54, is white, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 280 pounds, and has red hair and hazel eyes.
Police reported Nichols was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants. He has gray facial hair, and was last seen driving a maroon 1988 Ford Thunderbird with Washington license plate 927YZV. The car possibly has front and rear damage.
Nichols has an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest and is wanted for felony hit-and-run.
The struck pedestrian was hospitalized for serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.
Witnesses told police a dark-colored, two-door car — possibly a late-80s or early-90s Thunderbird — kept going after striking an adult crossing the street at West 13th and Daniels streets, at around 6:15 p.m. Friday.
The suspect vehicle was seen traveling in the area after the crash. Shortly after, officers saw the suspect vehicle in the 3200 block of East Fourth Plain Boulevard, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.
An officer attempted to contact the driver, but the vehicle backed into the patrol car, causing minor damage, police said.
A high-speed chase ensued, according to radio traffic, but was terminated near the 78th Street exit.
The investigation was ongoing, and no officers were injured.
