Bail set for Yelm man accused of vehicular assault in crash that injured Sheriff
A 29-year-old Yelm man accused of injuring Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders in a Sunday wreck is being held in Thurston County jail in lieu of $25,000.
Zachary Alan Roberge attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Monday. State troopers arrested him Sunday on suspicion of one count of vehicular assault.
The collision occurred at about 3:30 p.m. at 153rd Avenue Southeast and Lawrence Lake Road. Law enforcement believe Roberge may have been under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the collision, according to court records.
Visiting Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull of Kitsap County found probable cause for the alleged crime and set the bail amount. In doing so, he reasoned Roberge presents a substantial danger to the community because of his alleged methamphetamine use.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alexis Egolf requested bail be set at $25,000 given the seriousness of the crash. She also requested Roberge be restricted from contacting Sanders and possessing or consuming alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substances.
Hull largely agreed with Egolf but said he had reservations about the controlled substance restriction.
“I’m not confident that a court order is more powerful than the lure of methamphetamine and what we know about methamphetamine,” Hull said.
Public Defense Attorney Ahmed Jenkins asked Hull to release Roberge on his personal recognizance because he lacks any criminal history.
First responders extracted Sanders from his vehicle and airlifted him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Sunday, The Olympian previously reported. Roberge was not injured in the collision.
The hospital released Sanders in “satisfactory condition” late Sunday night, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Washington State Patrol is investigating the collision.
The investigation
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the crash from the perspective of law enforcement.
A trooper responded to the call at 3:55 p.m. and arrived at the scene about five minutes later. He reported that he observed Sanders’ patrol vehicle on the shoulder with “heavy front-end damage” and a red Ford Ranger stopped sideways in the road and blocking the intersection.
The trooper spoke to Roberge at the scene, and Roberge allegedly told the trooper he had stopped at the stop sign on 153rd Avenue, checked both ways and attempted to make a left turn before a car on the right passed.
As he pulled out, Roberge said he noticed Sanders’ patrol vehicle coming from the left and braked his vehicle. He said Sanders attempted to swerve his vehicle around behind him.
Sanders reportedly struck a trailer that Roberge was towing. Roberge told the trooper he was towing the trailer to help his boss move, according to the statement.
The trooper then asked Roberge if he recently used drugs or alcohol. Roberge allegedly denied drinking alcohol but admitted to using marijuana the previous night.
A deputy at the scene told the trooper that Sanders called for aid over the radio but was then unresponsive. When he arrived at the scene, he said Sanders appeared “limp.”
First responders extracted Sanders from his vehicle and airlifted him to Harborview in “serious condition,” according to the statement. At the hospital, Sanders’ injuries required him to be intubated, court records say.
A Seattle police officer who is a certified drug recognition expert later arrived at the scene to evaluate Roberge. The officer noted Roberge’s voice was “low and raspy,” his eyelids were “droopy,” and his face appeared to be twitching.
The officer then tested Roberge’s balance, attention skills, ability to touch his nose with his finger, and whether his pupils reacted to light.
He allegedly displayed signs of having divided attention and he failed to touch his nose three times. His pupils also did not react to light, according to the statement.
The officer recognized these results as signs drug use and questioned Roberge further. That’s when Roberge allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine the previous night, according to the statement.
Roberge then called his wife and allegedly admitted to using marijuana again, according to the statement.
Troopers reportedly drew two vials of Roberge’s blood after being granted a search warrant by Pierce County Superior Court Judge Gretchen Leanderson.
