Passenger injured, Oak Harbor motorcyclist charged
By JESSIE STENSLAND
Whidbey News Times Assistant editor
July 8, 2011 · Updated 2:47 PM
A 22-year-old Oak Harbor man is again facing a felony charge for allegedly driving a motorcycle into a parked car while he was intoxicated and injuring his passenger last summer, court documents state.
Prosecutors charged Christopher Atkinson in Island County Superior Court with vehicular assault.
The case has a complicated history. Island County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Eric Ohme said it was originally a vehicular assault case in superior court, but then was transferred to district court as reckless driving and DUI charges. When Ohme was unable to reach a plea bargain on the gross misdemeanor charges, he brought the case back to superior court with the felony charge.
According to the State Patrol’s report, Atkinson was driving a 1989 Yamaha dirt bike on Childrens Avenue, about six miles north of Oak Harbor. Raymond Jackson, a 24-year-old Oak Harbor man, was a passenger on the dirt bike. Neither of the men was wearing a helmet.
Atkinson lost control of the dirt bike near the intersection with Nogaterra Way. The bike slid into a parked 1991 Chevrolet Camaro.
Jackson suffered a head injury and was airlifted from the scene to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment, but now is fine, Ohme said. He said Jackson isn’t cooperating with the prosecution.
Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.Comment on this story.
So keep your comments:
- Civil
- Smart
- On-topic
- Free of profanity
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.
