Bail was set at $500,000 for a Brush Prairie man accused of being responsible for the death of a passenger and then fleeing the scene following a single-vehicle crash Sept. 23.
On Sept. 26, Eugene Jorgenson, 57, made his first appearance in Clark County Superior Court following the North County crash. He faces charges of vehicular homicide and hit and run resulting in death. He’s believed to have been intoxicated at the time of the crash.
According to a probable cause affidavit for Jorgenson’s arrest, at about 10:45 a.m. Sept. 23, Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a fatal, single-vehicle rollover crash in the 42200 block of Northwest Hayes Road. Witnesses who called 911 reported a male had been ejected from the vehicle, a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder, and that the vehicle came to rest on top of him. The sheriff’s office identified the victim as Tylor Krout, 30, of the Vancouver and Camas area, who was a passenger in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
The primary witness to the incident was Krout’s brother who said he, Krout and Jorgenson had been fishing on the Lewis River prior to the crash. He said that “just prior to leaving the fishing hole he saw Jorgenson consuming the last of a bottle of Tequila,” according to the affidavit. Krout’s brother was traveling in a separate vehicle from the one that crashed.
The witness said Jorgenson was driving erratically on Hayes Road prior to the crash, according to the affidavit. In an attempt to flag Jorgenson down to let him know he needed gas, the witness had passed him, though Jorgenson would attempt to pass the witness on the westbound shoulder, losing control and hitting a culvert and a driveway before going airborne.
After hitting a telephone pole, the Nissan tipped and rolled several times, coming to rest on top of Krout, who was ejected, according to the affidavit. Several people stopped to give assistance and discovered Krout deceased under the vehicle.
The affidavit stated that Jorgenson remained at the scene for a few minutes before discovering Krout was dead and then fleeing before law enforcement officials arrived. Law enforcement discovered Jorgenson had fled and was staying at the residence of his girlfriend in Vancouver, though he again fled prior to deputies’ arrival.
Using a police K-9, law enforcement was able to find Jorgenson a short distance from the Vancouver residence, according to the affidavit. One of the arresting officers said Jorgenson “had the strong odor of intoxicants emanating from his person” when detained.
Following treatment at a local hospital for injuries from the collision and a bite from the K-9, Jorgenson was taken into custody, with law enforcement taking a blood draw for evidence of impairment, according to the affidavit.
He is set to have another appearance Oct. 10.
