Man Charged With Driving His Car Into Roommate

A Spokane man was arrested early Saturday after his roommate was run down by a car in the Spokane Valley.

Deputies said Robert S. Yarnell, 22, argued with the 19-year-old victim about 2 a.m. near Ninth and Park. Yarnell then got into a brown 1970 Dodge Charger, backed up, and drove down Ninth at Jeff Parker.

The car slammed into Parker and sent him cartwheeling over the hood and onto the ground, said sheriff’s Lt. David Wiyrick.

Parker was taken to Valley Hospital and Medical Center with injuries to his left elbow and shoulder, according to Valley Fire paramedic reports. He was treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Yarnell was booked into the Spokane County Jail for second-degree assault with a vehicle, a felony. He posted a $10,000 bond and was released Tuesday.

Parker and Yarnell share a house at 627 E. Liberty, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in District Court.

Yarnell reportedly argued with his girlfriend at a house in the 7400 block of East Ninth before the assault. Both then left the house, deputies said.

When Yarnell returned to the house on east Ninth, he and Parker argued about Yarnell’s disagreement with his girlfriend, Wiyrick said. But the dispute quickly turned violent, according to deputies.

“Yarnell got mad, and he then got into the Charger and backed up,” Wiyrick.

Yarnell slipped the car into drive at Park and drove at Parker, who was standing about a half a block away, deputies said.

Witnesses said “Parker was still yelling at Yarnell as Yarnell approached in the vehicle,” deputy Doug deLandro wrote in the affidavit of probable cause.

After the car hit Parker, it slammed into a Chevrolet Camaro parked nearby, deputies said.

The impact sent pieces from fog lamps on the Charger flying and caused it to leak antifreeze, Wiyrick said. The right front fender on the Camaro was damaged, deLandro wrote in his report.

The woman who owns the Camaro witnessed the incident, deputies said.

, DataTimes