A 20-year-old driver involved in a Battle Ground hit-and-run is facing a complaint after police say she struck a bicyclist and left the scene, leaving the 35-year-old man with significant injuries. Police arrested Cloe Vesley after investigators traced a witness description and license plate number back to her white Ford Ranger pickup.
Officers with the Battle Ground Police Department responded to a hit-and-run call near the intersection of SW 34th Street and SW 10th Avenue, according to KATU. The injured cyclist, a 35-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital; his condition has not been released. A witness at the scene gave investigators a description of the vehicle along with its license plate number, which allowed police to identify an address tied to the truck.
Investigators tracked that lead to Vesley, who the station reports was cooperative when contacted. She was then arrested on a complaint of hit-and-run with injury. Police have not released additional details about what led up to the crash or whether speed or impairment played any role.
What Washington Law Says About Leaving an Injury Crash
Under state law, a driver who flees the scene of a crash that causes bodily injury faces a Class C felony, not a misdemeanor, according to the Law Offices of Barbara A. Bowden. A conviction can carry up to five years in a state correctional facility, a fine of as much as $10,000, and at least a one-year revocation of the driver's license. That statute, RCW 46.52.020, requires any driver involved in a crash causing personal injury to immediately stop, exchange identifying and insurance information, and render reasonable assistance to anyone hurt, as explained by Callahan Law P.S. That duty applies no matter who caused the collision, the firm notes.
Washington also has specific rules governing how drivers must treat cyclists on the road. Under the state's safe passing statute, RCW 46.61.110, a driver passing a bicyclist must, when safe, move completely into the lane to the left or reduce speed and pass safely at a safe distance, where practicable at least three feet, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Cyclists, for their part, hold the same legal rights and duties as drivers and may treat stop signs as yield signs at clear intersections under RCW 46.61.755 and RCW 46.61.190, per MRSC.
A Busy Corridor With a History of Close Calls
SW 10th Avenue forms part of State Route 503 through Battle Ground, where transportation planning includes intersection improvements. Statewide, Washington recorded 810 traffic fatalities in 2023, its highest death toll on state roads since 1990.
Other Recent Traffic Incidents Near Battle Ground
Just last week, Hoodline covered a driver who passed a stopped school bus and hit a child crossing a road near Battle Ground.
Police have not released further details about Vesley's case, including whether formal charges have been filed by the Clark County Prosecutor's Office. What remains clear is that, under Washington law, the decision to leave an injured cyclist behind carries consequences well beyond the original collision.
