Bail is set at $50,000 for a 20-year-old Chehalis man accused of doing donuts in a Chehalis intersection, driving onto train tracks and crashing into a cement barricade before fleeing on foot early Saturday morning.
Nickolas Lee Carleson Holmgren was charged Monday, Feb. 10, with one count each of DUI, minor in possession of liquor, attempting to elude, reckless driving and reckless endangerment.
He was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 3:50 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, after a Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy patrolling near State Street reportedly saw Holmgren’s Toyota Corolla speeding on State Street and started following it.
While the deputy was following the Corolla, he reportedly saw it doing donuts, which the deputy described as “spinning around twice,” in the intersection of State and Center streets in Chehalis before accelerating away at approximately 80 mph, according to court documents.
Holmgren reportedly applied the brakes at a stop sign, but “continued through the stop sign at a high rate of speed” before the deputy saw the Corolla “run into some train tracks and then into a cement barricade,” according to court documents.
“The driver’s door then opened and the driver ran off, despite (the deputy) yelling at him to stop,” according to court documents.
The vehicle’s passenger reportedly declined to provide information about the driver.
The deputy did pursue the male, contacted him a “short while later” and identified him as Holmgren by his driver’s license, according to court documents.
When asked why he ran, Holmgren allegedly “said he f—ed up and admitted to drinking alcohol that night at a friend's house,” according to court documents.
Two cans of beer were reportedly located inside the Corolla: one in the center console and one in the backseat.
A breath test conducted at the scene reportedly showed Holmgren’s blood alcohol content was .117. Subsequent tests conducted at the station showed his blood alcohol content was between .109 and .116.
Due to pending DUI and reckless driving cases in Centralia Municipal Court, Lewis County Superior Court Judge Paul Strophy found that Holmgren’s potential release posed a community safety risk, but opted to set bail lower than the prosecution’s recommendation of $75,000.
Strophy added a provision to Holmgren’s conditions of release requiring him to obtain a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) device within 48 hours of his release if he posts bail before his case is resolved. The device provides 24/7 transdermal alcohol monitoring.
Holmgren has expressed interest in accessing in-patient services, according to defense attorney Rachael Tiller. Up until now, he has also abided by all of his conditions of release and probation requirements for his ongoing cases, Tiller said.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20.
