VANCOUVER, Wash. – Two men were charged with robbing several middle school and high school students while driving a stolen car Tuesday.

William Upham, 20, and Ari Watson, 21, appeared in court on robbery and burglary charges Wednesday.

Uphan also faced a drunk driving charge.

Officers learned about the crime after a student walking near Heritage High School said two men in a white car robbed him and drove away, said Detective Kim Kapp, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Police Department.

Moments later, the two men approached other high school students who were walking and demanded money, according to Kapp. Those students said they had no money and the suspects drove away.

The vehicle, which had been reported stolen out of Seattle, was spotted by a Washington State Patrol trooper in the area of E. 18th Street.

The driver soon lost control at Mill Plain Boulevard and Morrison Street, hitting a fire hydrant and a tree. After the crash, the suspects fled on foot.

A trooper caught the driver and the passenger was located a short distance away in nearby building.

Upham was taken to the hospital after the crash and was later booked into the Clark County Jail, Kapp said. Upham had an outstanding felony warrant for auto theft and attempt to elude out of Seattle.

After both suspects were caught, Vancouver police learned there had been another robbery of three middle school students waiting for a bus on E. 18th Street.

“This robbery was actually the first one in the series but was not reported until the boys arrived at school. By that time, the suspects had already been taken into custody,” Kapp said.