Skier beaten and left for dead relives terror in court

STEVENSON, Wash. -- Kevin Tracey stood before the jury on Monday and relieved having beaten, choked and robbed while cross-country skiing near Dougan Falls along the Washougal River February.
 
Prosecutors asked Tracey whether he saw either of his attackers in court. Tracey pointed to Michael Collins. 

Michael Collins and his son, Teven Collins, are accused of using a wooden club to beat Robert Tracey in the head and torso in the woods. Then, believing Tracey was dead, the two dragged Tracey's body down to the brush where he laid for an indeterminate amount of time, detectives said.

Michael Collins has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and robbery. He faces life in prison without parole.

His17-year-old son, Teven Collins, is also charged with attempted murder. However, he agreed to testify against his father in exchange for an 8-year prison sentence.

In court on Monday, Tracey said it was Michael Collins who, after beating him, tried to strangle the life out of him while he was cross-country skiing near Dougan Falls along the upper Washougal River.

Tracey was near tears as he described his ordeal in courr.

“The individual behind me, which I believe was this individual, produced a small, thin rope – nylon cord – put it around my neck, and pulled in opposite directions as hard as they could, strangling me and choking off my air. 

“Strangely enough, at that point, you leave the attack mentally. … You know, strangely, the main thought at that point was, 'You gotta be kidding me. This is how I’m gonna go. This is how it’s gonna end?’” Tracey said.

Teven Collins is scheduled to be the last prosecution witness later this week. Michael Collins will ot testify in his own defense, according to his attorney.

Investigators said Michael Collins and his son had been camping in the area in the days before the attack and looking for a way out. Detectives believe the pair saw Tracey's car as an opportunity to do so.

Tracey told police he was suiting up when two strangers walked up to him and asked for directions. He said he remembered thinking it was an odd question.

"And I thought, 'Well, there's only one road to get up here and one road to get back. Why would you need directions?'" he said.

The pair then suddenly demanded the keys to his sport utility vehicle. He said he told the men to drive his truck one way while he went the other, but they would not agree.

"'(One of the men said) 'Oh, by the way, I'm going to have to kill you,"' he said.

Tracey said he remembers waking up, face down, in the snow and not knowing where he was at first. He could not get up but found the strength to crawl to the riverbank.

"Then I just kind of stayed under the brush and under the ferns, in between logs and so forth, and just started making my way back towards the falls," he said.

Tracey ran into a group of hikers who called for help.

"And that was my 'hallelujah' moment, you know," he said.

He sustained severe injuries to his head and spent several days in the hospital.

After the incident, Michael and Tevin Collins fled the area. They were caught a month later in Enseneda, Mexico.