Vancouver man killed in Washougal River Road collision

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a collision that killed a Vancouver man and injured two other area residents in Washougal.

Joshua Schmid, 21, died at the scene of the collision.

Sheriff’s deputies and crews from the Camas-Washougal Fire Department and East County Fire and Rescue were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident in the 36500 block of Northeast Washougal River Road Sunday, at 8:15 p.m. When they arrived, the EMS workers saw two heavily damaged vehicles and three people with multiple injuries that required extrication.

According to witness statements and evidence gathered at the scene, Schmid was driving a Subaru Legacy sedan northbound on Washougal River Road, passing cars and traveling over the centerline of the roadway when it met a southbound Kia Spectra sedan driven by Zachary Hartman, of Washougal. The two vehicles collided head-on in the southbound lane.

Hartman and a passenger in the Subaru, McKenzie Laird, 21, of Vancouver, suffered serious injuries as a result of the collision and were transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, in Vancouver. Hartman and Laird are listed in stable condition, as of Tuesday afternoon.

A dog that had been riding in the Subaru did not seem to be suffering serious injuries. The dog was transferred to a concerned resident at the scene after the collision and reunited with its family today.

Washougal River Road was closed until 1:30 a.m. today, because of an extensive investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit.  Most of the road is marked for no passing, by double solid yellow center lines.

One resident lost power, due to a power pole that was damaged during the collision.