A Vancouver man suspected of drunkenly ramming into other vehicles Sunday with his car made his first appearance in court Monday.
Amuch Soien, 19, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree assault, first- and second-degree malicious mischief and driving under the influence.
According to a Vancouver police probable-cause statement filed with court records, officers were called that day to a report of a drunk driver.
A man named Joshua Vestal had called 911 after seeing a vehicle strike parked cars in a parking lot in the 2900 block of General Anderson Avenue in the Bagley Downs neighborhood.
According to the court records, an officer arrived in the area to see Vestal’s vehicle heading toward a lot exit when a man, later identified as Soien, ran out in front of it. Soien was yelling and threw his cellphone at Vestal’s driver’s side window, according to court records, and Vestal drove away.
Soien took his shirt off and gave chase on foot. The officer contacted Soien, who said he was chasing the other car because it had rammed his earlier, causing him to crash into a residence.
The officers said he smelled strongly of alcohol, and they found his vehicle crashed into an apartment building.
Vestal told officers he was driving with his girlfriend, Haley Rice, earlier in an attempt to find the car that hit the parked vehicles. As they were looking and on the phone with 911, the car driver they were looking for began to chase them.
Vestal said they tried to drive away, according to court records, but the car caught up with them and rammed them, nearly flipping their vehicle.
Vestal also said the pursuing driver chased him on foot as he tried to drive away, and threw something at this window.
Vestal and Rice identified Soien as the driver of the other car, and police arrested him.
Court records say Soien’s breathing was not strong enough to register on three police breath tests officers conducted.
Soien’s bail was set at $7,500, and his next court date was scheduled for Feb. 9.
