By Brenda Starkey
Chronicle correspondent

     A Malo man pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular assault July 18 in Ferry County Superior Court.
     The charges stem from a July 6 single-vehicle accident on Rose Valley Road, nine miles north of Republic.
     A pickup truck driven by Patrick D. Ferrell, 51, was southbound when it went off the road and down a steep embankment at 9:45 p.m., according to a Washington State Patrol report.
     No one in the truck was wearing seatbelts, and two passengers were ejected from the bed of the pickup, according to the report.
     Ferrell told officers on the scene that he had prescriptions for Oxycotin and Ambien and also had been consuming alcohol, according to court documents.
     Officers also noticed a strong odor of intoxicants, according to court documents.
     Ferrell's blood alcohol level was .147 in a preliminary breath test, according to court documents.
     David D. Ferrell, 26, Auburn, was flown from Ferry County Memorial Hospital, Republic, to Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, via Medstar. He suffered head trauma and internal injuries, according to court documents.
     James D. Sutton, 42, Casper, Wyo.; Jaqueline L. Wheeler, 56, Curlew, and Patrick Ferrell all were taken to Ferry County Memorial Hospital via ambulance, according to the WSP report.
     Wheeler had facial lacerations and a cut to her left arm that required stitches, while Sutton had a possible broken leg and internal injuries, court documents continued.
     Patrick Ferrell was booked into the Ferry County jail July 9, and held on a $10,000 bond after being released from the hospital, court documents indicate.
     He posted bond and was released July 12.
     Judge Allen Neilson rescinded a no-contact orders with David Ferrell and Sutton because they are living in Patrick Ferrell's household.
     Trial is set for Sept. 10.