Traffic Control Flagger injured in Camas

A Camas man has been arrested for being involved in a hit and run accident and failing to obey a traffic control flagger.

Camas Police said in a news release Philip Craig Lauritzen, 58, had stopped his Ford truck at the intersection of Northeast 35th Avenue and Northeast Everett Street, in Camas, Friday, Aug. 17, around 1:40 p.m., due to traffic stoppage inside a controlled construction zone.

Lauritzen was wanting to turn north on Northeast Everett Street, but he was stopped by a certified flagger holding a traffic control stop sign.

According to Camas Police, Lauritzen engaged in a verbal dispute with the flagger, elected to drive around the traffic control and struck the flagger with the front of his truck.

Lauritzen then drove away north on Northeast Everett Street through the construction zone. Road workers stopped him at the 3700 block of Northeast Everett Street and called 911.

Camas Police officers arrested Lauritzen for felony hit and run with injury and misdemeanor failure to obey a flagman, and he was booked in Clark County Jail.

The flagger, Amanda L. Kanthack, 29, was transported with non-life threatening injuries to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, in Vancouver. She was treated and released on the same day.