A driver allegedly struck two pedestrians in a Vancouver crosswalk Wednesday afternoon, then abandoned his car, changed his clothes and was found trying to climb into a different vehicle before police caught up with him, according to investigators. One of the two pedestrians suffered serious injuries in the crash, which happened near Northeast Stapleton Road and 18th Street.
Police officials said the driver, identified as Jerad Raptopoulos, was arrested on two felony hit-and-run counts and one count of vehicular assault, according to KATU. Investigators say they used surveillance video to identify Raptopoulos after a witness showed police the suspect's vehicle, which had been abandoned near the crash scene.
Suspect Allegedly Changed Clothes Before Arrest
According to the same report, detectives found Raptopoulos getting into a different car and determined he had changed his clothing after the crash. He was booked into the Clark County Jail on the two felony hit-and-run counts and the vehicular assault charge, and the station's report notes he also had a referred charge of knowingly possessing a controlled substance.
Under Washington law, vehicular assault can involve causing substantial bodily harm while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, or while driving with disregard for the safety of others, and is classified as a class B felony, per the Washington Legislature. Separately, a driver who fails to stop or comply with the law after an injury crash is guilty of a class C felony under state statute, the Legislature's code also states.
Pedestrian Crashes a Persistent Safety Issue in Vancouver
The crash adds to a pattern the city has been tracking for years. According to the City of Vancouver, roughly 25% of crashes involving a pedestrian in the city have resulted in a fatality or serious injury. The city's Transportation System Safety Analysis, first developed by a hired consultant in 2018, found that distraction or inattention led to the most crashes across all severity levels, while distraction, speeding, impairment and failure to wear a seatbelt were the leading factors behind the most serious ones.
That same analysis found most fatal or serious-injury crashes happen at signalized intersections, and that roads with three to six lanes see more pedestrian and bicycle crashes than narrower streets. The city has flagged corridors including E. Mill Plain Boulevard, Fourth Plain Boulevard, Andresen Road and NE 162nd as having the most potential for added safety measures. Vancouver also maintains a Collision Dashboard, updated monthly with data stretching back to 2015, that lets residents filter crash records by date, time, mode and severity.
