LINCOLN CITY, Ore. -- The case of a Washington man charged with running over a Portland man in Lincoln City has been classified as a bias crime.
The crash between the suspect and victim vehicles happened at 11:43 p.m. Tuesday in a Walgreens parking lot just before midnight on March 6.
The victim, Mohammad Fawad Mohammadi, got out of his car after which police say they believe Perry G. Nicolopoulos, 68, of Puyallup, Washington, ran him over and fled the scene.
The Lincoln County District Attorney's office added the bias crime designation in documents released March 19th.
In court documents released March 15th, the DA's office charged Nicolopoulos with attempted murder, DUII and numerous counts assault, recklessly endangering.
According to a GoFundMe account set up for Mohammadi, he served as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan for four years. He came to the U.S. about three years ago under government sponsorship.
Mohammadi suffered serious injuries and was flown to a Portland hospital. The victim's wife and infant child, who were inside the vehicle, were not injured. The family is from the Portland area.
After the crash, police say Nicolopoulos fled the scene. Lincoln City officers spotted his vehicle shortly after on Highway 101. He showed signs of impairment and was taken into custody for DUII.
The Lincoln City Police Department is asking anyone who had contact with the suspect or has any information about this case to call Lt. Jerry Palmer at 541-994-3636 or email him at jpalmer@lincolncity.org.