Man charged for stealing truck, crashing in Schwana

SCHWANA — A man was charged for allegedly stealing an elderly man’s pickup truck and crashing the vehicle into a power pole in Schwana.

Grant County prosecutors charged Fidel Lopez Martinez, 40, with second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission.

On July 23 the Grant County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a 2017 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck colliding with a power pole at a gas station in Schwana, near state Route 243. Deputies were told a male, alleged to be Lopez Martinez, fled the area after the crash, which had sparked a grass fire near the gas station.

Mattawa and Royal City police reached the area before deputies, found Lopez Martinez nearby and arrested him. Grant County Fire Districts 8 and 10 responded to the scene and firefighters stomped out the fire before it reached the gas pumps.

A man contacted MACC Dispatch about 40 minutes after the crash to report his father’s vehicle was stolen. The man advised Lopez Martinez had been doing some work at his residence earlier in the day and he had given him permission to use the truck, but “just for a few minutes.”

“This was the only time Lopez Martinez has used the vehicle. Lopez Martinez did not have permission to take the vehicle this time,” wrote a deputy.

Grant County PUD crews responded to the scene after the accident, as the downed power pole caused PUD customers in the Beverly and Schawana areas to be without power. PUD crews were able to restore power to the area in about five hours.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.