Crash may have been attempted murder

A Spokane man may have been trying to kill his estranged pregnant girlfriend Wednesday night when he forced her into a rented car and crashed it into a power pole, officials say.

The driver, 24-year-old Christopher Bouck, showed up at the downtown store where Candace Bellinger works and forced her into the car, saying he was going to kill her by crashing into another vehicle, said Spokane County sheriff’s Detective Dave Thornburg.

Bellinger, 19, appears unharmed from the impact of the crash at 10510 E. Broadway Ave. She was treated at a hospital and released Thursday morning.

Bouck remained hospitalized Thursday with hemorrhaging in his brain and a broken clavicle. Police said he could face first-degree assault and kidnapping charges.

Officers said his breath smelled of alcohol, and they found containers – empty and full – in the car. A blood sample was taken to determine blood alcohol content.

Bouck and Bellinger had dated about five months, said Spokane County sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan.

The incident began at River Park Square, Reagan said. Bouck showed up wanting Bellinger to leave work and talk to him. When she refused, he allegedly grabbed her by the arm and threw a package at a store manager who tried to intervene.

Both actions constitute assault, Reagan said.

Mall security escorted Bouck out the front doors. He waited outside the mall until Bellinger got off work, when he forced her into the car, Reagan said. Bellinger told police that Bouck told her he was going to ruin her life as she had ruined his.

The Chevy Malibu hit speeds of 100 mph on the freeway, Reagan said. Once he took the Broadway exit, Bouck slowed down, but witnesses still estimated his speed at 60 mph on Broadway Avenue, where the speed limit is 35 mph.

Witnesses told police that Bouck swerved at cars as if to hit them, pulling away at the last second. It was right after one of those incidents that he lost control and hit the pole, Reagan said.

Thornburg said an airbag control module in the car will give detectives a variety of crash data, including the speed of the vehicle for five seconds before the crash.

Bouck has served time in jail for convictions of burglary, theft and being a minor in possession of alcohol, dating back to age 18.