Six children and a woman were hospitalized in a hit-and-run DUI crash on Interstate 5 near Napavine at about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The at-fault driver, Ruslan S. Trenda, 22, of Longview, faces potential criminal charges of DUI, vehicular assault, hit-and-run with injury, hit-and-run property damage, reckless endangerment and reckless driving.
Trenda allegedly fled the scene of the crash on foot, according to Trooper Dakota J. Russell.
“After the collision the driver of the causing vehicle (Ruslan) fled the scene on foot. We had a multitude of allied agencies assisting us in the area after the collision which was a huge help,” Russell stated in an email to The Chronicle. “We also had property owners/community members in the area call into 911 with information regarding the fleeing individual. Because of this, they were located near the Bethel Church and taken into custody without incident.”
Trenda was traveling northbound near mile marker 72 in a 2004 Honda Accord when the vehicle struck a 2004 Ford Excursion driven by Tara R. McIlmoil, 41, of La Grande, Oregon.
Both vehicles went off an embankment. McIlmoil's vehicle rolled and came to rest on the Exit 72 off ramp.
McIlmoil was hospitalized at Providence Centralia Hospital after the crash, as were six children who were in her vehicle — a 6-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy, an 11-year-old boy, a 14-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old boy. They were not publicly identified by the state patrol because they are juveniles.
Trenda, the at-fault driver, was not injured, according to the state patrol. His name did not appear on the Lewis County Jail roster Thursday morning, but Russell said his records show Trenda is being held at the facility.
Both vehicles were totaled.
Russell voiced appreciation for assistance at the scene of the crash.
“I would like to thank the allied agencies that assisted us on scene and with the search,” he wrote to The Chronicle. “Those agencies are the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Centralia PD, Chehalis PD and Napavine PD. I would also like to thank Fire District 5, Fire District 6, Chehalis Fire and Toledo Fire for their assistance as well. Having great relationships with our partner agencies is key to keeping our communities safe.”
The Chronicle will update this article after Trenda’s appearance in Lewis County Superior Court.
