Weekend crash in Spokane Valley could leave boy paralyzed; 19-year-old driver faces charges

Court records indicate that a young passenger in a weekend car crash in Spokane Valley received a skull fracture and could suffer from permanent neurological damage and paralysis.

The boy was one of four passengers, all between the ages of 12 and 14, who were hospitalized after the crash, which happened about 1 a.m. Sunday in the intersection of East Cataldo Avenue and Barker Road.

The driver, 19-year-old Autumn Solomon, told deputies she was traveling west on Cataldo at about 70 mph when she attempted a sharp left turn onto Barker, according to court documents. One responding deputy estimated her speed was at least 55 mph in a posted 25 mph zone.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported that the car hit a concrete barrier and was vaulted into the air before coming to rest in a vacant lot. The intersection is beside a truck stop just north of the Barker exit on Interstate 90.

One deputy wrote in court documents that Solomon “was just out driving around and having fun with no reason to be in the area or driving so fast.”

After receiving medical attention, Solomon was booked into the Spokane County Jail early Sunday. She appears to have no previous criminal history and was released on her own recognizance after a court hearing Monday afternoon.

Deputy Mark Gregory, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said Solomon faces four charges of vehicular assault – one for each passenger.

The boy with the fractured skull remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. Another juvenile was still hospitalized in stable condition, and the other two had been released, Gregory said.

Investigators believe none of the passengers were wearing seat belts.

Solomon’s public defender, Stephanie Cady, did not respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday afternoon.