Police say crash homicide

The investigation into one of the area’s worst crashes in recent history was completed Tuesday with Washington State Patrol detectives seeking five counts of vehicular homicide against a Deer Park man.

But if Spokane County prosecutors file those charges against 56-year-old Clifford Helm, the Chewelah family that lost five children will be quite upset, said Schrock family spokeswoman Ruth Hertzler.

“There is a reason that the English language has the word ‘accident,’ ” Hertzler said. “Some things are just beyond our control.”

Helm was driving a 1999 Ford F-250 pickup north on U.S. Highway 395 on Nov. 1 when it veered into the median and crossed into oncoming lanes of traffic, investigators said. They estimated that Helm had 15 to 18 seconds to react before smashing head-on into the southbound 1986 Ford pickup driven by 39-year-old Jeffrey Schrock.

The crash seriously injured Schrock and killed all five of his children: 12-year-old Carmen, 10-year-old Jana, 8-year-old Carinna, 5-year-old Jerryl and 2-year-old Craig.

Six weeks after the crash, Jeffrey Schrock’s wife, Carolyn Schrock – who was not in the vehicle at the time – gave birth to a baby girl, Jolynn Marie Schrock.

Just Thursday, the surviving members of the family had dinner with Clifford and Sandy Helm at the Schrock family home near Chewelah. The family has had an ongoing relationship and friendship with the Helms since the accident, Hertzler said.

“Forgiveness is not just part of the Mennonite culture,” said Hertzler, a member of the Pine Grove Mennonite Church. “It is God in our heart. As we want forgiveness for our own mistakes, we will only receive it if we offer it to others.”

WSP Detective Ryan Spangler, who worked on the case, said investigators recommended that prosecutors charge Helm with five counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault despite that the Schrock family has forgiven Helm and doesn’t want him charged.

“We are definitely moved by their forgiveness and feelings and wonderful sense of just being nice people,” Spangler said. “But that is not something we can take into account. We have to look at what is the most appropriate action for all public safety.”

Clifford Helm’s attorney, Carl Oreskovich, said his position has not changed from his previous comments which indicated that the crash was “a terrible accident with a terrible result.”

“It would be a second tragedy to charge Mr. Helm with a crime based upon the facts and the circumstances as we know them,” Oreskovich said. “There is no evidence of excessive speed or of any criminal conduct by him.”

Spangler said he could not say why it took investigators almost 11 months to complete the investigation. But early on, investigators expressed their frustration that Helm – who has had four traffic infractions since 2003 – would not talk to detectives about what happened that night.

Many of the first responders who arrived on the scene, on U.S. 395 just north of Hatch Road, required counseling after their efforts to save the dying children.

According to previous WSP reports, witnesses indicated that Helm was driving normally just before his northbound pickup entered the median of U.S. 395 and traveled about 300 feet.

Helm then steered his pickup out of the median and into southbound lanes for about 1,300 feet – the distance of about four football fields – before his pickup obliterated Schrock’s vehicle.

Based on the accident reconstruction, investigators believe both pickups were traveling at about 60 mph when they met head-on.

Toxicology results on Helm’s blood showed nothing out of the ordinary. Instead, investigators based their entire investigation on witnesses and evidence from the scene, according to previous reports.

“We can only accurately report what the facts are,” Spangler said. “It will always be up to the prosecutor to determine the charges.”

Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Clint Francis said he must go through the nine volumes of investigative files before he decides what charges may be filed.

“It’s huge,” he said of the investigation. “I have been working with (investigators) on it throughout all this. It should not take very long” to make a decision on charges.

Reached at home Tuesday evening, Helm’s wife, Sandy, said she and her husband had no comment until the case is completed.

Helm, who was a landscape contractor before building and operating Alderwood RV Resort in Mead, also suffered serious injuries in the accident and has since recovered, Hertzler said.

“He is very compassionate,” she said of Helm. “He, so to speak, would leave no stones unturned for what he would do for the Schrocks. They, of course, would not take advantage of that.”

Jeffrey Schrock had to undergo months of therapy and continues to recover.

“Jeffrey is recovering beautifully,” Hertzler said. “We feel like it is because of his attitude in relation to the whole accident.”