One of two women struck by a suspected drunken driver June 3 in Vancouver had been out jogging when she was hit in a crosswalk, according to her parents.
The woman, who was not previously identified by authorities, is 25-year-old Karina Reynosa of Vancouver.
Her stepmother, Angela Danyus, told The Columbian on Thursday that Reynosa remains on life support at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, where she’s already undergone seven surgeries.
The alleged driver, Vancouver’s Trista M. Egli, 31, was back in Clark County Superior Court on Thursday to be arraigned on two counts of vehicular assault-DUI and two counts of hit-and-run resulting in injury.
Egli, who previously posted bond, appeared telephonically and entered not-guilty pleas to the charges, court records show. Her trial is scheduled for Nov. 16.
Struck in crosswalk
Vancouver police were dispatched at 8:01 p.m. to reports of a hit-and-run crash in the area of East Mill Plain Boulevard and Northeast Andresen Road.
A probable cause affidavit says a dark blue Dodge Caravan was traveling east on Mill Plain and attempted to turn left onto northbound Andresen when it left the road, jumped the curb and drove onto the sidewalk. Florence Mbah was standing on the sidewalk when she was struck. The suspect vehicle drove off.
Mbah suffered a broken left wrist and minor abrasions, and was treated at a hospital, court records show.
Minutes later, the van was seen speeding west on 18th Street and passing a vehicle in the oncoming lane, the affidavit states. Police said the van then struck Reynosa in a crosswalk west of General Anderson Avenue before fleeing.
Danyus said her stepdaughter was thrown 154 feet and landed on the pavement. Two women came to her aid and applied pressure to her injuries until first responders arrived.
Reynosa’s injuries include a shattered pelvis and femur, requiring metal rods to correct. She’s unable to breathe on her own, and suffered a traumatic brain injury, Danyus said.
“The list of her injuries is almost a full page long. Her road to recovery will take years. But we still don’t know. We’re waiting for her to wake up,” Danyus said in an email.
She said her stepdaughter worked full time and was a student at Clark College.
A GoFundMe account was created to help cover Reynosa’s medical expenses: https://bit.ly/3hjA5jJ.
Driver detained
The suspect van, which had significant front-end damage, was located near 18th Street and Murray Court. Witnesses at both crash scenes identified the van and driver as Egli, and she was detained, according to court documents.
Egli told officers she was “frantic” and saw a pedestrian lying in the road but decided not to stop or slow down. She decided to return to the scene when she saw police vehicles, the affidavit says.
An officer said he could smell the strong odor of intoxicants on Egli’s breath, and noticed other signs of intoxication. Egli said she drank one beer several hours prior and took prescribed medication for depression and anxiety earlier in the day, the affidavit says.
She failed a voluntary sobriety test and refused to take a preliminary breath test. She also refused to participate in a Drug Recognition Evaluation, police said. Her blood was drawn for toxicology testing, court records state.
