4 hospitalized after suspected impaired driver crashes car into Clark County creek

CLARK COUNTY, Wash. (KPTV) - Four people were taken to a hospital after a car crashed into a creek Wednesday night, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies, along with East County Fire Rescue and American Medical Response, responded to a crash along Northeast Boulder Creek Road near the Jones Creek trailhead at about 11:41 p.m. It was reported one person was out of the car and “covered in blood,” while another was still inside and unconscious, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies arrived to the scene and found a gray Mitsubishi Lancer down an embankment, partially in Boulder Creek. Two people inside the car were able to get out on their own, while deputies helped free the other two.

The sheriff’s office said an investigation showed the car was traveling west on NE Boulder Creek Road when it left the roadway and crashed into the creek. The sheriff’s office said the driver, 23-year-old Ryan Shepherd, from Vancouver, showed signs of impairment at the scene.

All four people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The sheriff’s office said a sample of Shepherd’s blood was taken and results are pending. No charges have been filed at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.