Maple Falls man sentenced after pleading guilty to felony hit and run charge

KENDALL, Wash. — Darren Wade Hicks, age 59 and of Maple Falls, pled guilty to a felony charge of hit and run with injury in Whatcom County Superior Court and was sentenced to 15 months in prison custody with credit for time served in August.

The charge was related to an incident that occurred on July 4, 2021, when a good Samaritan was helping a person with a disabled vehicle on the side of Kendall Road when Hicks drove past, striking the good Samaritan. It was reported at the time that the impact left paint from the car on the victim’s pants, caved in Hicks’ vehicle’s windshield and carried the victim approximately 98 feet from the point of impact. Hicks’ car continued southbound and did not return to the scene. The victim, identified as a 21-year-old from Ferndale, reportedly suffered serious injuries.

Hicks’ vehicle was located the same day the Washington State Patrol put out a description of the suspect vehicle. A search of inside the car found items with his name along with finger and palm prints identified as his.

Hicks reportedly evaded efforts by law enforcement agencies to contact him and fled to the Seattle and Bremerton areas in the days following the incident.

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Whatcom County Jail records show Hicks was arrested by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the jail on November 23, 2023.

Hicks posted a $10,000 bail bond on December 14, 2023, and was released from custody. A warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court on June 10th and the bond was forfeited. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office returned him to custody on June 30th and he remained there since.

Hicks has prior felony convictions of 3rd-degree assault and possession of methamphetamines and 24 gross misdemeanor convictions since 1999 for driving while his license was suspended, 3 for driving under the influence and 3 for operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock.

The sentence of 15 months was within the standard range of 15 to 20 months as determined by the court considering his past criminal history. A community custody sentence was not included in the sentencing documents.