In brief: One killed in crash; fleeing driver jailed
The driver of a green Ford Ranger pickup died early Sunday afternoon after being hit broadside by a speeding black Honda Civic that ran a stop sign at East Empire Avenue and North Helena Street, according to police.
Police had not yet identified the deceased driver.
The northbound Honda hit the westbound truck with such velocity that pieces of both cars scattered over a wide area. The truck snapped off a telephone pole that collapsed on the fence of a nearby yard.
An officer spotted the speeding Honda shortly before the crash but was not in pursuit, said Spokane police Capt. Dave Richards. “The accident happened before the officer even had a chance to get behind him,” he said.
The driver of the Honda, identified by police as 38-year-old Bryan J. Storms, ran from the scene and was chased down by the officer and a witness, Richards said. Two passengers from the Honda were taken to the hospital with serious injuries and are expected to survive, he said.
Storms was to be booked into the Spokane County Jail on one charge of vehicular homicide and two charges of vehicular assault after treatment for his injuries, Richards said.
According to court records, Storms has multiple criminal convictions dating to 1997 for attempting to elude a police vehicle, possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.
Two-year-old boy found alone in bar
A 2-year-old boy was found wandering alone in Sully’s Pub and Grill at 5785 N. Government Way in Coeur d’Alene Sunday afternoon, launching a police search to find out his identity.
The boy told police his name and his father’s name, according to a Coeur d’Alene Police Department news release.
After several hours of searching, police were able to contact his father, Jesse Edwards, at the Hayden Wal-Mart. Edwards appeared to be under the influence of a substance and would not explain how he got separated from his son, police said.
Edwards was arrested on a charge of child endangerment.
Man rescued from burning apartment
Firefighters rescued a man from a burning apartment at 3724 N. Cook St. in Spokane just after noon on Sunday.
A resident on the upper floor of the two-story building called 911 to report smelling smoke. When firefighters arrived no smoke was visible but they searched the building, according to a Spokane Fire Department news release. They found a fire in a lower-floor unit and found a man in bed inside, the release said.
The man was reportedly in fair condition at a local hospital.
Most of the fire damage was in the apartment’s kitchen. The cause was under investigation. The Red Cross is assisting the residents.
Death of man, 88, under investigation
An 88-year-old man was found dead Saturday night at his home at 33 Brooks Tracts Road just outside of Omak in Okanogan County, and his death is being investigated as a homicide.
The man’s daughter discovered his body and called police just after 9 p.m., according to a news release from Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers. Investigators obtained a search warrant and the Washington State Patrol processed the crime scene Sunday, the release said.
Police have identified the man as Leonard K. Miller, a lifelong resident of Omak. Miller’s car was stolen from his home and was located Sunday in east Omak.
West Central fire kills two dogs
Two dogs died in a fire at 1924 W. Augusta Ave. in the West Central neighborhood just before 9 a.m. Sunday.
The residents of the home were able to get out safely before firefighters arrived.
There was heavy fire in the basement, which caused firefighters to withdraw from inside the house temporarily at one point, according to a news release from the Spokane Fire Department.
Firefighters were able to return inside the home after they made progress extinguishing the flames, the release said. It took over an hour to put out the fire, which caused heavy damage to the basement and first floor estimated at $75,000.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. The Red Cross is assisting the two residents.
Marijuana forum being relocated
A state agency’s public forum in Spokane on new regulations governing the production and sale of legal marijuana is being moved to a larger facility.
A notice on the Washington State Liquor Control Board’s website Sunday lists the Spokane Convention Center as the new location for Tuesday evening’s forum on new rules for marijuana prompted by passage of Initiative 502 in November. The forum had been scheduled for the Spokane City Council Chambers.
A decision to move to the Convention Center apparently was made over the weekend.
The forum starts at 6 p.m. with an open house. A briefing from the board begins at 7 p.m., followed by public testimony that could last until 10 p.m.