Joseph A. Rachauskas, 47, was arrested for the crimes of Vehicular Homicide, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Hit and Run
Through a thorough investigation into the Jan. 23, 2022 fatal hit-and-run collision at NE 88th Street and NE Highway 99, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit developed probable cause for the arrest of Joseph A. Rachauskas, 47, for the crimes of Vehicular Homicide, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Hit and Run.
On Wednesday (May 25), detectives with the Tactical Detective Unit observed Rachauskas in the Fred Meyer parking lot at 7700 NE Highway 99. In addition to the Vehicular Homicide, Rachauskas was wanted by several agencies in Oregon and Southwest Washington for various crimes.
With the assistance of the CCSO patrol deputies, and the Washougal Police, Rachauskas was taken into custody.
The original report
On Jan. 23, at about 12:55 p.m., emergency responders with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Clark County Fire District 6, and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to a two-vehicle serious injury hit-and-run collision at NE Highway 99 and NE 88th Circle in Vancouver.
Emergency responders discovered a gold 2005 Ford F250, which had been reported stolen out of Washington County Sheriff’s Office, was being operated south on NE Highway 99 in the outside lane when it went through a red traffic signal at NE 88th St and struck a gray 2013 Mercedes sedan operated eastbound on NE 88th St by 52-year-old William Stevens of Vancouver.
Stevens had to be extricated from his Mercedes and was transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center where he died of his injuries. The driver and lone occupant of the stolen Ford F250 fled on foot eastbound on NE 88th St from NE Highway 99.
Information provided by Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
