SPOKANE COUNTY, WA — A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault following a serious rollover crash that left his passenger in critical condition Saturday evening in the 18500 block of North Boston Road.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5:30 p.m. on June 14 to reports of a single-vehicle rollover. The white Toyota 4Runner was found on its side, severely damaged, with one occupant trapped and the vehicle initially reported to be on fire. Firefighters from Spokane County Fire District 9 extricated the male passenger, who sustained life-threatening injuries and remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Deputies identified the driver as Stephen M. Schwabe. Witnesses reported he had been driving at 50 to 70 mph in a posted 35 mph zone. Investigators said the 4Runner struck a fence and a power pole before becoming airborne and landing between two trees.

Deputies observed signs of impairment, including an empty alcohol bottle near the vehicle and a half-full liquor bottle inside. Schwabe, described as combative and slurring his speech, was arrested at the scene. A blood sample was taken under exigent circumstances, and a second was collected later under a search warrant at the hospital.

Following medical clearance, Schwabe was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a felony charge of vehicular assault. He appeared in Spokane County Superior Court on June 16, where Commissioner E. Cruz released him on his own recognizance.

The incident remains under investigation by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit.