'Chaotic scene': 1 dead, 1 arrested after NE Hwy 99 crash in Vancouver

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One person is dead and one person has been arrested after a crash on the highway in Vancouver on Thursday, authorities said.

Portland resident Diego Quintana, 20, was arrested and accused of vehicular homicide and other charges after allegedly emerging as the driver from a Lexus RX400 involved in a crash in the 9000 block of NE Highway 99, the Clark County Sheriff's Office said.

Sheriff's deputies and first responders from the Clark County Fire District 6 and American Medical Response responded to the scene of the reported two-vehicle crash just after 1 p.m. Friday. People calling in the crash said one of the vehicles — later identified as the Lexus — was speeding before it hit another car, with one of the cars hitting a power pole that fell on the street.

"Responders arrived at a chaotic scene with more than 20 bystanders standing around the two involved vehicles that had blocked the southbound lanes of NE Highway 99," the Clark County Sheriff's Office said in a press release. "The female driver of a Toyota Camry was unresponsive but breathing, and responders attended to her."

The woman was transported to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. She was identified as 56-year-old Vancouver resident Kimberly Butler.

Quintana, the driver of the Lexus involved in the crash, was kept on the scene by bystanders before deputies arrived, officials said.

Two other passengers from the Lexus left and could not be located by deputies. Their pictures were shared by the sheriff's office in an attempt to locate them as part of the investigation. One of them was seen in a surveillance photo wearing a Coors Light shirt while the other was wearing a red sweatshirt.

Multiple witnesses estimated the Lexus was traveling at more than 80 miles per hour in a stretch of road where the speed limit is 40 mph, the sheriff's office said. Detectives said they believed Quintana was impaired. He was later evaluated on the scene and charged with driving under the influence.

Quintana was also charged with hit and run resulting in a death and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Clark County Jail after spending the night in the hospital for evaluation and treatment and was released on Friday afternoon.

Anyone with information about the crash, and those who can help identify the two passengers that left the Lexus after the crash, is encouraged to contact the Clark County Sheriff's Office.