Man arrested after woman seriously injured by Spokane Valley hit and run

Spokane Valley deputies arrested a man on suspicion of hit-and-run after a woman received potentially life-threatening injuries on South Bowdish Road near 34th Avenue, according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a caller who reported that a pedestrian was hit by potentially two vehicles at about 9:20 p.m. on Sunday at the 3400 block of South Bowdish Road.

Spokane Valley Fire and sheriff’s office deputies provided treatment to the woman, whose identity was not released. She was transported to a local hospital that night.

However, a few hours later, a man identified as Peter A. Sontrop, 58, reported that his 2022 Toyota Tacoma had been struck in a possible hit-and-run at 12:15 a.m. on the 11300 block of East 29th Avenue, just a few blocks away from the reported injury collision. Traffic investigators identified some of the debris from the collision likely belonged to a newer Toyota Tacoma pickup, the sheriff’s office said.

Responding deputies noted that Sontrop’s vehicle matched the description of the suspected hit-and-run vehicle, including damage to the passenger’s side mirror, however there was no vehicle debris at the scene of the reported collision, the sheriff’s office said. The vehicle also had damage consistent with a pedestrian collision.

The man was reportedly unsteady on his feet and slurred his speech, the deputies noted. Sontrop told deputies he was asleep when he heard the collision and came outside to see what happened, the sheriff’s office said. The deputies did not believe he was telling the truth.

Deputies asked Sontrop if he knew if his truck was involved in a hit-and-run earlier that night, but he denied any knowledge of the earlier collision, the sheriff’s office said.

“I might have hit someone and not known,” Sontrop reportedly told deputies.

Sontrop said he had been driving around earlier, but couldn’t say when or where, the sheriff’s office said.

Sontrop agreed to a voluntary sobriety test and a breath test, which showed a result of about twice the legal limit, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies arrested Sontrop on suspicion of vehicular assault and felony hit and run. The driver of the second vehicle that was potentially involved in the hit and run was cooperative with deputies and was not arrested.

The victim of the hit-and-run remains in serous condition, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies are continuing their investigation.