A Winlock man is facing criminal charges in Lewis County Superior Court for allegedly doing donuts on the grass at Stan Hedwall Park in Chehalis in November, causing an estimated $1,610 in damage.
The Chehalis Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle doing donuts in the grass at Stan Hedwall Park, located at 1501 Rice Road in Chehalis, on Nov. 16, 2023, according to court documents.
When an officer arrived at the scene, he reportedly saw a vehicle repeatedly “speed up, quickly brake and then turn while accelerating again, causing it to ‘drift’ ” in the grass at the park.
The vehicle reportedly stopped when the officer activated his patrol vehicle’s lights and sirens.
When questioned, the driver, identified as Douglas Pluard, 19, “stated he met up with his friends and thought it would be fun to drift,” according to court documents.
When asked “what made him choose to drift in a city park and destroy the lawn in the (process),” Pluard allegedly “admitted it was a dumb idea.”
In a Nov. 30 report to the Chehalis Police Department, Chehalis Public Parks estimated the cost of repairs to park’s lawn to be $1,610, according to court documents.
Pluard was charged in Lewis County Superior Court with one count each of second-degree malicious mischief and reckless driving on Feb. 21. He pleaded not guilty to both charges on March 12.
The malicious mischief charge is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison. The reckless driving charge is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in prison.
Pluard was issued a summons notice on Feb. 22 for a mandatory March 12 preliminary hearing, for which he was present.
A Lewis County Superior Court judge ruled March 12 to allow Pluard to remain out of custody on his own personal recognizance ahead of the trial, which is scheduled for later this year.
