COLBERT, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a single-vehicle accident that critically injured a passenger and led to the arrest of a 38-year-old driver on vehicular assault charges June 14.
Stephen Schwabe was driving a Toyota 4Runner north on N. Boston Road near the intersection with E. Colbert Road around 5:30 p.m. Witnesses reported the vehicle was traveling 50 to 70 mph when it veered off-road onto the shoulder.
Schwabe drove back onto the road but crossed into southbound lanes before striking a power pole. The vehicle became airborne before overturning into a tree. The crash was about six miles north of Mead.
Deputies found the overturned and heavily damaged vehicle on its side. Spokane County Fire District 9 crews extricated a male passenger who was trapped in his seat with life-threatening injuries.
The passenger was transported to a hospital in critical condition. That person’s identity was not immediately disclosed.
Emergency responders found an empty alcohol bottle outside the vehicle and a half-empty bottle inside the Toyota.
Deputies suspected Schwabe was impaired and obtained a search warrant for a blood draw. Authorities booked him into Spokane County Jail for vehicular assault after he received medical clearance.
Schwabe was released on his own recognizance following a June 16 court appearance. The Sheriff’s Office continues investigating the circumstances that led to the crash.
