Driver flees scene after crash that impales girl, 17

A 17-year-old girl was impaled by a fence rail Friday when the car she was in crashed through a cyclone fence, according to Spokane Valley police.

The driver of the car fled the scene without helping her, police said.

According to a press release, the driver of the 1994 Honda Civic – David J. Darling, 28, of Spokane – was headed east on Mallon Avenue at about 9 p.m. when he failed to make the turn at the “T” intersection of Mallon and Best Road in Spokane Valley.

Darling, who was driving over the speed limit in a residential area, crashed the car through a cyclone fence, police said. The fence rail went through the windshield, striking the teen in the left shoulder and tearing completely through her before lodging in the trunk of the vehicle. The car came to rest about 100 feet east of the intersection in a field.

A resident in the area who heard the crash went outside and saw the driver leaving, according to police.

While Spokane Valley firefighters worked to get the girl out of the car, Spokane Valley police and canine units searched for the driver. The accident drew crowds of onlookers, who ended up contaminating the scene, police said. The canine units were called off their search.

The injured teen later revealed the driver’s identity to an officer. She also picked Darling out of a photo montage, police said.

Doctors had to remove a chunk of fence post from the girl’s shoulder. She also suffered other serious internal injuries. The teen remains in critical but stable condition at a local hospital, police said.

Anyone with information on Darling’s whereabouts is asked to call the Spokane Crime Reporting Center at (509) 532-9266 or go to the Web site: www.spokanecrimereportingcenter.org.