A Vancouver man who struck and killed a pedestrian in a wheelchair in March was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, oxycodone and depressants at the time of the crash.
Adam Clark Urban, 64, appeared Monday via video in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of vehicular homicide-driving under the influence. He was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear on a summons in the case Sept. 15, the prosecution said.
Urban said he never received anything about appearing in court.
The prosecution said Urban has no prior criminal convictions, but he has multiple traffic infractions. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jeff McCarty asked that Urban’s bail be set at $75,000.
Urban’s court-appointed attorney, John Terry, argued that his client stayed at the scene of the crash, called 911 and was cooperative with investigators. He asked that Urban’s bail be set at $10,000, which Judge Gregory Gonzales granted.
Shortly before 10 p.m. March 15, Vancouver police were dispatched to a serious injury crash at the intersection of Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard and Fort Vancouver Way. Urban called 911 and said he had struck a pedestrian. A witness attempted to render aid to the pedestrian, identified as Donald Robinson, but the man was unconscious and unresponsive, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Robinson was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he underwent surgery for his injuries. He died the next day, the affidavit says.
Urban told police he was driving east on Fourth Plain when Robinson entered his path, and he was unable to avoid hitting the man. A witness said Robinson, who was using a wheelchair, was crossing west in a crosswalk, from north to south, and was unable to make it across the intersection before the eastbound signals turned green, court records say.
While speaking with Urban, officers said they observed signs of drug and alcohol impairment. Urban admitted to drinking alcohol, using marijuana and taking prescription medication before the crash. A preliminary breath test found Urban had a blood-alcohol level of 0.058, about an hour after the crash, the affidavit says. In Washington, a blood-level of 0.08 is considered evidence of drunken driving.
A search warrant was obtained to test Urban’s blood. The toxicology results were sent to investigators May 18 and found that Urban’s blood tested positive for alcohol; THC, the active ingredient in marijuana; the narcotic oxycodone; and depressants Diazepam and Nordiazepam. Urban’s THC level was nearly six times the legal limit of 5.0 for driving, court records state.
The Vancouver Police Department Traffic Unit said additional investigation led them to conclude that if Urban had not been distracted or impaired, he would have been able to stop in time, according to the court document.
Urban will be arraigned Oct. 16.
