Sled crash that hurt 2 kids lands Spokane dad in jail

A Spokane father is in jail after two children he was towing on a sled behind an ATV slammed into a parked police car, sending the kids to the hospital. Spokane police say Ramon D. Noggles, 33, was under the influence of alcohol when the collision happened just before 8 p.m. Wednesday in the 3600 block of E. Pratt Ave. His wife, Kathy Kosloski, called the crash a “freak accident.” “He would never intentionally hurt any kids,” Kosloski said. “He’s just a dad trying to have fun with his kids.” Noggles, a felon who has previous convictions for drunken driving, negligent driving and reckless driving, was ordered to stay in Spokane County Jail on $25,000 bond after appearing before Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen . Prosecutors said Noggles may face only one charge of vehicular assault because a girl’s injuries weren’t as serious as first suspected, but the boy suffered facial fractures and may need surgery. Kosloski said her husband drank two beers about six hours before the crash and was not drunk. She said the parents of the injured boy knew he was being towed on a sled. Officers had parked their patrol car at the bottom of a steep hill while responding to an unrelated collision nearby. The officers heard the three-wheeler seconds before they saw it crest the top of the hill at speeds estimated at 35 mph, police said. Noggles was driving with a boy and girl, both age 8, sitting behind him. He was towing a sled with a 7-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl in it. Noggles is the father of both girls, police said. He faces additional misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and driving while license suspended/revoked. He also has a warrant for his arrest in Douglas County. Details were not available. Officers saw the sled swing out as Noggles drove down the hill and the sled slammed into the back of the patrol car. Both children in the sled were taken to the hospital for injuries related to the collision, police said. The children riding on the back of the three-wheeler were not injured. “I don’t know what he was thinking when he went down that hill,” said Kosloski, who attended Noggles’ court appearance with her children. “I wouldn’t have gone down that hill.” None of the children was wearing a helmet or any other safety equipment. Police said they smelled intoxicants on Noggles’ breath and that he failed sobriety tests. Blood-alcohol content results for Noggles are pending analysis. Pulling sleds or “ski-jogging” on public streets or in parking lots cause serious injuries and death every year, police say. Items towed behind motorized vehicles have no braking power. Parked cars, curbs, trees, telephone poles, fire hydrants and even hard snow and ice piles can become deadly obstacles, police say.