Washington Man Charged With DUII, Attempted Murder In Oregon

LINCOLN CITY, OR — Police in Lincoln City Tuesday night arrested a drunk driver from Washington state who is accused of hitting a man with his car in a Walgreens parking lot while the victim's wife and infant child watched helplessly from their own vehicle.

Perry G. Nicolopoulos, a 68-year-old resident of Puyallup, Washington, was taken to the Lincoln County Jail following his arrest March 6. He has been charged with reckless endangering and reckless driving, hit and run, assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and attempt to commit a crime. His arraignment was pending at this time of this posting.

According to Lincoln County police spokesman Lt. Jerry Palmer, officers were dispatched to the Lincoln City Walgreens at 4048 N.E. Hwy 101 just before 11:45 p.m. Tuesday following a reported hit and run involving a pedestrian.

When officers arrived at the Walgreens, they found the pedestrian who was hit was actually the driver of a second vehicle involved in the collision. The driver, an adult male from Portland, was found outside the vehicle, Palmer said, noting the driver's wife and infant child who were still in the car were uninjured.

The man reportedly sustained serious injuries and required a life flight to hospital in Portland.

Lincoln County deputies assisting with the crash investigation found the suspect a short time later traveling north on Highway 101. After deputies stopped the vehicle, the driver, Nicolopoulos, showed signs of impairment, prompting his arrest for DUII.

While Nicolopoulos was in custody, authorities continued their investigation at Walgreens and added the additional charges based on evidence gathered from there.

Image via Lincoln County Police Department