A father and his six-year-old son from Vancouver were killed after a 73-year-old driver fatally struck them while they were walking.
Local law enforcement personnel said that the father was found dead at the scene, while the child was in critical condition but later died of his injuries. Neighbors said that the accident occurred at around 1:20 p.m. on the 6400 block of Northeast 137th Avenue while school buses were dropping off students.
Vancouver Father and Son Killed in Car Accident
Wendi Bjerg said that while her kids were getting off their school bus, the police had not yet gotten to the scene. Officials said that the adult victim was found lying in the roadway and died of his injuries.
Another resident from the area, Rosalinda Aldama, said that the young boy was dropped off at the school bus stop. She added that she thinks the child's parent was waiting for him at the bus stop when the accident happened, according to The Columbian.
The man's son was later found in a ditch roughly 10 feet away from the crash site and was immediately transferred to Randall Children's Hospital in critical condition. Medical professionals said that he had life-threatening injuries.
Police also arrested the elder driver of the car that struck the two victims and charged him with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of DUI. Investigators cited reckless driving, speed, and possible impairment as contributing factors to the accident.
The 73-year-old man who was arrested was later identified as James H. Paulson, who was booked into the Clark County Jail. Following the arrest and subsequent fatalities, the Vancouver Police Department Traffic Unit is still investigating the incident, KGW reported.
Arresting the Elderly Driver
Residents said that the area where the accident happened is where many drivers usually speed, even though construction is ongoing and school buses drop off students on a daily basis. Bjerg noted that a lot of drivers like to go fast through the straightaway, and it is something they frequently see.
The parent said that they keep telling their children to always wait for the bus to move back away from the road before getting off. The parents said that they don't want to let their kids walk along the road whatsoever because of so many reckless drivers they see in the area.
Bjerg said that the area has become quite dangerous for residents, especially for young individuals. The parent noted that it has become very uncomfortable for them that something so tragic as the latest accident could happen so easily, as per KATU.
