Police on St. Thomas arrested 70-year-old Michael Williams Sunday and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence of alcohol. Police said he hit a pedestrian and attempted to leave the area.
According to the report from the V.I. Police Department, officers were dispatched to Brookman Road in the vicinity of Heavy Equipment at about 6:45 p.m. Sunday to investigate an auto collision involving a pedestrian.
A male pedestrian had been walking east on the right side of the road while a vehicle was traveling west on the same road.
The driver of the vehicle lost control of the vehicle, veered to the left and struck the pedestrian, causing the victim to hit the windshield before the vehicle came to a stop, according to police.
The drive was later identified as Williams, a resident of Estate St. Peter on St. Thomas.
Police said Williams engaged the emergency brake, left the engine running and got out of the car, leaving it in the middle of the road. He walked east and attempted to leave the area by getting into the passenger side of another vehicle, according to the report.
Witnesses gave police a description of the suspect and officers apprehended him before he drove away. Police administered the field sobriety test and the breathalyzer to check his alcohol consumption levels and Williams failed both tests, they said.
Williams was arrested, placed on a $5,000 bail and remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections pending further court action.
The victim was taken to the Schneider Regional Medical Center and treated for a broken right elbow.