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Spokane Valley man admits to driving in hit-and-run crash that killed 20 year old

On Nov. 24, Travis Elliot, 20, and Peter Louthian, 20, were dropped off at the Spokane Valley Hospital with serious to critical injuries.

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Spokane County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a hit-and-run crash from Nov. 24 that injured one man and eventually killed a second.

According to court documents filed Thursday, Ryan John Elliot, 41, admitted to deputies that he was the driver in the crash and was eventually arrested. However, court records don’t show any charges filed against him and he is not listed as an inmate in the Spokane County Jail.

On Nov. 24, Travis Elliot, 20, and Peter Louthian, 20, were dropped off at Spokane Valley Hospital with serious to critical injuries, according to court documents.

Travis had a cut on his head, bruising and bleeding on the left side of his neck, documents said. He also had glass removed from his scalp and was eventually released from the hospital. 

Louthian was transported by LifeFlight from Spokane Valley Hospital to Sacred Heart for critical life-threatening injuries, documents said. A deputy reported Louthian had staples behind his left ear and was bleeding out of his left ear. Documents said he also suffered a skull fracture and a collapsed lung. He later died from his injuries on Dec. 2.

According to court documents, detectives determined Travis’ mother, Jennifer, had dropped the two men off at the hospital. When deputies went to Jennifer’s home, Ryan answered the door. Ryan immediately told deputies he was the driver involved in the crash, documents stated. Deputies said Ryan had “slow movements and had a noticeable limp as he walked,” according to court records.

Ryan said he was giving Travis and Louthian a ride to Jennifer’s when he swerved for an animal or a child and crashed into a car, but didn’t remember where the crash happened, documents said. Court documents said Ryan pointed west and said it wasn’t too far away from the house. He said he left the scene of the crash find help but Travis eventually got ahold of his mom and she picked them up, documents said. According to documents, Ryan said no one called 911.

Court documents said, at the time, Ryan was arrested for felony hit and run.

Jennifer told deputies she got a call from Travis and Louthian and that was why she picked them up, documents said. She said she did not pick up Ryan and he was not at the crash scene, according to documents. She said Ryan showed up to her house after his mother dropped him off, documents stated. Jennifer told the deputy she got a call from Travis and she would not talk about the crash with law enforcement anymore.

Deputies later located the crash scene near the intersection of South Balfour Road and South Chinook Road. Documents said a Mazda, registered to Louthian, was resting next to an old Army-style tow truck. Crash investigators determined the Mazda crossed over the southbound lane on S. Balfour and left the roadway onto the gravel and hit the tow truck, documents said.

Court documents said the direction of travel of the car is inconsistent with Ryan’s statement that they were headed to Jennifer’s house.

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