When a Ford Thunderbird struck Melvin King at the intersection of West 13th and Daniels streets on Jan. 26, the impact broke bones in both of his legs.
Now, King, who at 75 years old has been homeless for about a year, can no longer get around without a walker.
“I had three surgeries, very little physical therapy. I broke both my ankles. My right leg broke in three places. I have screws and plates in both,” said King, sitting in hardwood chair in the entrance of Share House in mid-May; his tiny long-haired chihuahua named Chiquita rested in his lap.
“I’ll be living with these titanium pieces forever. They’re a part of me now,” he said.
Despite the serious injuries and housing challenges, King remains optimistic about the future. That’s not to say things have not been tough since the hit-and-run crash.
The incident
Vancouver police were dispatched to the hit-and-run about 6:15 p.m. Jan. 26, according to a police report. King is listed as the victim in the report, which also says he broke both legs.
Police said in an email that King was in a crosswalk.
A witness told police he saw a two-door late-model car, possibly a Ford Thunderbird based on bird decals on the car’s tail lights, driven by a man in his 50s who was wearing a black hoodie and a backward baseball cap.
Police initially identified the suspect as 54-year-old Christopher Nichols. The Vancouver Police Department released a surveillance photo of Nichols wearing the same clothes as described by the witness.
The officer who responded to the crash found Nichols at a 7-11 convenience store off East Fourth Plain Boulevard about an hour and 15 minutes after it was reported, according to the police report.
Nichols was sitting behind the wheel of a maroon Ford Thunderbird, which was parked and facing the store, police said.
Nichols allegedly didn’t stick around for long. He started the Thunderbird and backed up into the rear passenger door of the officer’s patrol vehicle — twice, according to the police report. The Thunderbird sped off and ended up northbound on Interstate 5.
Police called off the dangerous pursuit. It wasn’t until April 4 that Nichols was arrested on suspicion of drug possession and the January police chase.
However, in the case stemming from the alleged pursuit, Nichols was charged with attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and hit-and-run unattended (vehicle damage). He was not charged with hitting and injuring Melvin King.
Another suspect
Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said traffic unit investigators suspected Nichols in the hit-and-run involving King, but they later determined he wasn’t involved.
“Nichols did hit a patrol car and fled from police when officers attempted to contact him and he was charged for that incident,” Kapp said in an email.
Investigators have identified another suspect, but they’re still waiting on lab results for DNA samples. King said, and the police department confirmed, that officers visited him at the hospital and took the samples.
The samples are being compared to DNA pulled from the windshield of the suspect’s vehicle. King said his head smashed into a windshield before he tumbled to the roadway.
When asked to elaborate further on how investigators determined Nichols wasn’t the suspect despite his proximity to the scene of the crash and his clothes matching the witness’ description of the driver, Kapp said Nichols had been driving a vehicle that was the same make and model. She did not say whether it was the same car.
The recovery
King expresses himself in a straightforward manner. The retelling of his recovery is short and direct, although he has questions about who injured him and his subsequent medical care.
He stayed at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center for three weeks, undergoing surgery three times. Doctors there also got King started on physical therapy.
During his time at the hospital, Dawnda Durbin stepped up to help her acquaintance. The Camas resident met King at a homeless camp in downtown Vancouver while doing outreach with her church, Grace Foursquare.
Durbin said she’s made connections with others who are living outside while doing the charity work, but she is unsure she’d go to the same lengths she has for the “little old man.”
“I met him in June of last year,” she said. “He is always kind and quiet.”
Bones started to mend, bruises started to disappear and wounds healed at the hospital. Doctors decided there was nothing else they could do that couldn’t be done at a rehabilitation facility. King said a doctor wrote a prescription for physical therapy, and the hospital transferred him to Oaks at Timberline.
King claims his stay at the rehab center included no therapy for his injuries. Its employees told King they’d faxed the prescription to his Medicare provider. Weeks passed with no guided treatment, according to King.
King gave permission to Durbin to remedy the situation.
She successfully filed a claim with the National Center for Victims of Crime. Both Durbin and King are uncertain, but they believe the money went to the hospital and Oaks.
“I’m unsure if they got any money,” King said. “As far as I’m concerned they shouldn’t have gotten anything.”
Despite her efforts, Durbin was repeatedly informed King would be moved to Share House, a men’s shelter, for lack of payment.
In late March, King was moved. Oaks at Timberline did not respond to questions by the time of publication.
Looking forward
King describes life as “OK” since moving to the men’s shelter.
The folks at Share House treat him, and tiny Chiquita, with respect, he said.
Struggles with his injuries persist, however. He said it’s hard moving around the house, adding “I get around fine for the most part.” Whether some of his injuries will fully heal is uncertain.
“My left leg has healed quite fine; but my right, I’m not sure it will ever be the same,” he said.
Moving to Share House may have been the best option despite King’s ongoing hardships. Social Service workers there connected King with Council for the Homeless. The nonprofit is working to get him a more permanent roof over his head. Before losing housing, King survived off Social Security and retirement from a career in upholstery. The money wasn’t enough to keep up with bills, he said.
King said it’s important to follow what happens with the hit-and-run investigation. He would like to see whomever injured him “adequately punished.”
“The guy should go to prison for a significant amount of time. You shouldn’t be in a crash like that if you aren’t willing to take an equal punishment,” he said.
Police have not contacted King since his stay at PeaceHealth. Kapp said someone at the police department would reach out once an arrest is made.
