SPOKANE, Wash. --- The driver accused of hitting and killing a bicyclist early Sunday morning made her first court appearance Tuesday.
Melissa Paul, 27, faces charges of vehicular homicide and possession of a controlled substance. Washington State Patrol said she was traveling westbound on the shoulder of Highway 2 at Flint Road when she hit bicyclist Ty Olds, 44.
With her in the car at the time was Stephan Goodwin, her apparent boyfriend.
WSP officials previously said the cause of the crash was driving under the influence.
Court documents show after the crash, Goodwin put a digital scale and small plastic baggie under the tire of one of the trooper’s vehicles.
Another trooper noticed the bag and tested it. Inside, WSP said they found methamphetamine and cocaine, plus several blank plastic pill type containers used to separate quantities of substances for distribution.
The troopers watched the dashcam video from the patrol car and saw Goodwin place the scale under the car. Goodwin admitted to WSP he had put the bag there, though he said he did not know what was in the bag when he discarded it.
Goodwin faces two charges for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
During the intake process, officials found a white oval pill inside Melissa Paul’s wallet. They said it was identified as Tramadol, a controlled substance that by law has to be kept in pill bottle with a prescription attached.
Both Paul and Goodwin had their bond set at $150,000 during their first appearance hearing on Tuesday.
Paul’s next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17.
Melissa Paul's boyfriend Stephan Goodwin has criminal history, found with drugs in the car with intent to deliver. Bond set at $150,000. pic.twitter.com/fYnHWnk8kg
— KREM 2 NEWS (@KREM2) January 3, 2017