A Molalla man was arrested Friday for an alleged drunken-driving crash in which he drove a vehicle carrying a mother and four children into a utility pole on South Molalla Avenue.
The single-vehicle crash involving a black 2001 Chevy Cavalier occurred at approximately 7:35 a.m. on Molalla Avenue between Cascade Highway 213 and South Sprague Road. One adult passenger and four children were transported to an area hospital by a combination of ground and air ambulance.
Sgt. Marcus Mendoza, a spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, said those injured included 29-year-old Crystal Larson and her four children, ranging in age from 1 to 6 years old.
Initial evidence suggested that the child restraints were severely lacking, and that two of the children may have been thrown from the vehicle during the crash.
“There was one child restraint seat in the vehicle,” Sgt. Mendoza said. “I believe one child was restrained properly and at least two were not. There were two children who were reported to have been ejected from the vehicle.”
Sgt. Mendoza said one child sustained a fractured skull, and Larson received some unspecified fractures. All five were listed in stable condition, he added.
The preliminary report, which was obtained by the Canby Now Podcast, confirms that two children, a 3-year-old and 6-year-old, both boys, were not wearing safety restraints of any kind. Both were ejected from the crash.
Two girls, ages 1 and 4, were properly restrained in child safety seats, according to the crash report.
The driver, 30-year-old David Scott Larson, of Molalla, was arrested for DUII, reckless endangering and fourth-degree assault, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. He was not seriously injured in the crash, according to Sgt. Mendoza.
“He was checked by paramedics and remained on scene for the investigation,” he said. “Then, he was placed under arrest and lodged at the jail.”
The report indicates that Larson failed a field sobriety test.
Molalla Avenue was closed for several hours Friday while Portland General Electric repaired the utility pole, and a Clackamas County Criminal Reconstruction and Forensic Technician (CRAFT) team worked the scene.
Photos courtesy the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office:
