An Ellensburg man faces an attempted murder charge after an acquaintance was stabbed in the neck and the suspect's vehicle later crashed into a utility pole.
Kittitas County deputies arrived at a residence near milepost 16 on Vantage Highway at 10:13 p.m. on May 6, where they found a 20-year-old male with a severe, heavily bleeding stab wound to his neck. Authorities were told that the suspect, who is known to the victim, had already left the area in a black Nissan Altima.
While deputies were responding to the stabbing, Kittcom dispatchers notified them of a vehicle collision near milepost 8 on the same road. Law enforcement arrived to find a black Nissan Altima that had struck a telephone pole and was disabled. The driver, a 20-year-old Ellensburg man, was taken into custody at the scene.
The stabbing victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment, but his current medical condition has not been released. The Ellensburg driver was evaluated by medics at the crash scene and then taken to Kittitas Valley Healthcare for cuts to his hands.
While the man was receiving treatment at KVH, deputies obtained and served a search warrant for a blood draw to investigate possible impairment at the time of the incident. Following his medical evaluation, he was booked into the Kittitas County Jail on a recommended charge of attempted murder.
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office states that the investigation remains active and ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information regarding the assault or the subsequent collision to contact Kittcom at 509-925-8534.