Centralia police arrested a 36-year-old man Wednesday after he allegedly hit a bicyclist with his 2004 Oldsmobile Alero and attempted to flee the scene on two flat tires.
Jarrod D. Woods, of Chehalis, was booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 7:10 p.m. Wednesday. He faces one count each of vehicular assault, felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor hit-and-run.
The vehicular assault charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Felony hit-and-run is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Police said the bicyclist was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. The victim was first described as a pedestrian in a Centralia Police Department news release issued Thursday.
Woods made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday.
“Frankly, the defendant’s lucky he didn’t kill somebody,” Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Meyer said during the hearing.
The prosecutor called Woods a “clear danger to the community” and requested a bail amount of $250,000 cash or bond, which Meyer said was low given Woods’ alleged actions and the “severity of the conduct.”
“Even if you are intoxicated, and you end up hitting somebody, to then just be so brazen that you’re going to continue to flee the area just shows he has no regard for human life,” Meyer said.
Meyer asked that Woods be prohibited from driving as part of his conditions of release, and requested Woods be put on a GPS monitoring system prior to any release from custody.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller said bail would be “incredibly difficult” for Woods, who was not currently working. Tiller said she noted Woods’ criminal history was "extremely limited” and included “nothing similar” when reviewing his record, which consisted mainly of juvenile offenses.
Tiller made no objections to a GPS system or portable breath test device, and said Woods would stipulate to not getting behind the wheel of any motor vehicle.
“I think that, in and of itself, will allay any safety concern,” Tiller said.
After noting Woods had supporters present in the courtroom, Tiller asked for no more than $20,000 in bail.
Judge Paul Strophy said the allegations gave the court “extreme concern for community safety.”
“It’s just for the grace of God or pure luck that people weren’t killed or more seriously injured, based on the description of the driving from witnesses,” Strophy said.
The judge set bail at $100,000 cash or bond, which he said took into consideration Woods’ dated criminal history and financial circumstances.
Should Woods post bail, he is prohibited from driving or consuming alcohol or nonprescribed drugs and cannot leave Western Washington without the court’s permission.
Woods is also prohibited from possessing any firearms or other dangerous weapons.
Strophy did not order a monitoring system.
According to the Thursday news release from the Centralia Police Department, officers responded to the corner of Galvin Road and Harrison Avenue shortly after 2:15 p.m. Wednesday after witnesses reported seeing a suspect driving erratically. The suspect had reportedly collided with property and a pedestrian, before driving away on two flat tires.
In its probable cause affidavit, prosecutors noted the driver “was reported to have almost hit several vehicles head on.”
The suspect’s car, described as a “red older” vehicle from the 2000s, had reportedly stopped and was blocking the road at West Main Street.
“Meanwhile, a report came in that a collision had occurred at Harrison Avenue near the Dollar General store,” the affidavit said.
The witness had reportedly seen a red vehicle strike a bicyclist, and said the driver made “no attempt to stop.”
Another witness told Lewis County deputies that Woods had exited his car and “appeared highly intoxicated.”
“Woods had to be supported to keep him upright and from falling backwards,” prosecutors said in the affidavit.
A Centralia officer reportedly saw “several round containers” inside Woods’ car — including a BuzzBallz alcoholic beverage — and a number of vape devices, according to the affidavit.
Because Woods was allegedly “swearing at officers and not following commands,” the officer decided not to perform a field sobriety test for safety reasons.
According to the affidavit, police found pieces to a broken wooden fence on Galvin Road and spoke to a witness who said he’d seen a smaller red vehicle drive through the yard and strike the fence.
Police then spoke to the victim at the hospital, who reportedly said he was traveling in the bike lane on Harrison Avenue when he was struck from behind.
The victim reported feeling pain in his ankle and tailbone, and said his hip had been injured. Hospital staff reportedly told police the man’s injuries would “require on-going care,” according to the affidavit.
Woods was transported to the hospital prior to his jail booking.
“During Woods' conversation with medical personnel, he admitted to drinking a lot,” prosecutors alleged in the affidavit. “He indicated that he had consumed beer and vodka. He also made a statement that he did not drive fast enough to get away from the police.”
A blood draw was reportedly conducted on Woods at the hospital.
During the Thursday hearing, Meyer said the state was waiting for confirmation on whether a firearm was also located inside Woods’ vehicle at the time of the incident.
Woods is scheduled for an arraignment on Aug. 27.
