Kelso man charged in head-on crash on Old Highway 99 that injured woman

A woman was seriously injured Sunday in a head-on collision in south Thurston County, and Monday, the driver of the other car appeared in court on vehicular assault charges.

The collision occurred about 6:30 p.m. Sunday on Old Highway 99 west of Tenino. The driver of a Dodge Dakota pickup was attempting to pass a vehicle in a no-passing zone during rainy conditions when he crashed head-on into a Nissan pickup, Sgt. Carla Carter of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said.

The woman in the Nissan truck was trapped in the heavily damaged vehicle. Fire personnel extricated the woman by removing the passenger side door and roof of the truck. She was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries, and her condition was unknown Monday.

“All we know is that she had several broken bones and a fractured pelvis and most likely other injuries,” Carter said.

The driver of the Dakota was Robert Dean Larsen, 52, of Kelso, who appeared Monday in Thurston County Superior Court on one count of vehicular assault. Bail was set at $2,500 and arraignment was set for Oct. 25.

“He just had a scrape on his shoulder,” said Carter, noting that Larsen said he had applied the brakes, but they didn’t work.

No drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash, Carter said. According to court documents, Larsen has a 2000 conviction on negligent driving charges.

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Kelso man charged in head-on crash on Old Highway 99 that injured woman."