A 19-year-old man suspected of driving drunk and crashing into a tree, seriously injuring a passenger, appeared Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court.
Max V. Ischenko of Vancouver appeared on suspicion of vehicular assault stemming from the early Sunday morning crash on Northeast Andresen Road.
Shortly before 2 a.m., Ischenko was driving north on Andresen just north of Northeast 42nd Street when he lost control of his vehicle, drove up the curb and struck a tree. The impact severed the tree from its base, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A passenger in the back seat suffered a fractured left wrist, abdominal bruising and a small laceration to her liver, the affidavit said.
The responding officer said he could smell a strong odor of alcohol on Ischenko’s breath and observed that he had bloodshot, watery eyes, court records state.
He allegedly admitted to drinking three or four beers several hours before the crash. He also had a hard time answering the officer’s questions, according to court documents. An injury he sustained to his foot prevented him from performing a full field-sobriety test, the affidavit said.
Ischenko was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where his blood was drawn for testing, court documents state.
On Tuesday, Judge Derek Vanderwood appointed Ischenko an attorney and set his bail at $5,000.
He will be arraigned Dec. 23.
