SPOKANE, Wash. – Samual Clopton, 43, made his first appearance in front of a judge Monday afternoon after police said he drove under the influence of drugs on Friday, hitting and injuring at least two pedestrians and damaging the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.
According to court documents, Clopton ran from the scene late Friday night but was found within 30 minutes by Spokane Police Department (SPD) officers.
Clopton allegedly drove his Idaho registered minivan into a bus bench, which then flew into the side of the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. According to SPD, two pedestrians, one who was waiting for the bus at the bus stop, and another who was walking home from church, were hit. They were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and are in stable condition.
However, another person has claimed to be a victim; Asis Rosalez said he and his girlfriend were also caught in the crash.
“We were just walking up here to the bus stop, that’s it,” Rosalez said.
Just walking, until he said Clopton’s car and the bus bench came flying toward them.
“I didn’t know what to do, I just pushed her out of the way, and we tried to get out of the way, that car was coming at 25 or 35 mph,” Rosalez said. “She got knocked out of her shoes by the tires, and she was on the ground, and all twisted up. I got hit by a motor and something else on the head.”
Rosalez said they did not report their injuries to SPD, but they did go to the hospital and are doing ok.
As for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, a nonprofit organization that provides 24-hour childcare and parent education to families who need the support, the damage is significant on the outside of the building, yet fortunately the inside was spared.According to Amy Vega, the nonprofit’s executive director, no staff or kids (all 19 who were sleeping at the time of the crash) were hurt.
However, Vega is disappointed Clopton did not own up to his actions.
“I guess for me, knowing all I know about brain development and trauma in children, I guess I go back to ‘what happened to this gentlemen’ that he didn’t get his needs met, where it went wrong for him, that that was an ok response to not take accountability for your actions, and not to make sure that everyone is ok,” Vega said. “It just hurts my heart.”
According to court documents, when Clopton was searched by SPD, officers found a small bag of pills in his pocket, and then they found meth and fentanyl inside his car. A passenger in the crash also told police she and Clopton had smoked meth around one or two p.m. on Friday.
Clopton is being held on a $30,000 bond in the Spokane County Jail. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 1.
As for Vanessa Behan, Vega is working with insurance to get the damage covered, but she’s just grateful for the community’s outpouring of support.“Being a privately funded organization, we lean so heavily on our community, and to know that they not only have our back when we’re taking care of kids, but when something happens to our building, that they care, just means a lot,” Vega said.
