Joel R. Swenson, 33, a passenger in car driven by Aaron C. Loffler, 35, injured, taken to hospital, after their car leaves the Alderwood Ave. roadway and crashes into a power pole.

A Bellingham man was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault after a passenger in his car was injured in a suspected drunk driving crash early Thursday, March 13. Aaron C. Loffler, 35, was driving his 2004 Volkswagen Jetta west on Alderwood Avenue at about 2:15 a.m., when he drove off the road and struck a power pole near Marine Drive. Loffler ran from the crash scene. Loffler wasn't injured, but his passenger, 33-year-old Olympia resident Joel R. Swenson, was taken to St. Joseph hospital. Loffler ran from the car, and Officer Chris Kaiser and his police dog Danek were able to quickly track down Loffler, who showed signs of heavy intoxication. Troopers suspect that drugs or alcohol and speeding contributed to the crash.

The things that you need to know about an accident with a drunk driver

Drunk-driving crashes are complicated because of the many parties potentially involved, including the drunk driver, the bar or tavern where they got drunk, the party host who gave alcohol to a minor, and the parole officer tasked with supervising repeat offenders. Here is what you need to know to deal with a drunk driving collision.