Gerald Johnson, 55 of Austin, faces a charge of failing to provide information at the scene of a motor vehicle accident.

Wednesday, May 10, 2000

Gerald Johnson, 55 of Austin, faces a charge of failing to provide information at the scene of a motor vehicle accident.

According to an Austin Police Department report, Johnson was driving a pickup truck and backed into a wheelchair being operated by Lois Qualey, 69 of Austin.

The accident occurred at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday along North Main Street.

Qualey was uninjured.

Johnson confirmed the story told by Qualey, according to the police report.

After backing into her wheelchair, he got out of his pickup truck and asked if she was okay.

Qualey said she was uninjured and asked for his driver’s license and vehicle insurance information. However, he didn’t stop to provide it and went into the Innovision store in the 400 block of North Main Street.

Qualey said she was "very shaken" and drove her wheelchair into another business nearby and called police.

Johnson’s explanation for leaving the scene without providing information was that Qualey told him she was not injured and that he suspected "she’s going to try to get something out of this."

The mishap occurred the afternoon before the driver would attend his father’s wake service.

Qualey said her wheelchair may be damaged, but Johnson’s pickup truck wasn’t.

Mower County Attorney Patrick A. Oman will review the police report and charge.

Borrowed car reported stolen

Thomas Hanson loaned his car to a neighbor and the neighbor stole it.

That’s what an Austin Police Department report describes happened overnight.

According to Hanson, Thomas Brazier, 36 of Austin and a neighbor of Hanson’s asked to borrow his car Tuesday for "10 minutes."

When an hour elapsed, Hanson checked with an ex-girlfriend of Brazier’s, Patricia Worth and she advised him to report the vehicle stolen.

Only a day earlier, Worth had reported several personal checks stolen from her and named Brazier as a suspect.

Early today, Mower County Sheriff’s Department deputies spotted Hanson’s vehicle swerving on Interstate 90 and gave pursuit.

The driver of the vehicle then listed as stolen sped away and a short chase ensued until deputies were able to halt the vehicle.

Brazier was driving the car and had a passenger, Devonius Pitchford with him.

According to the police report, Brazier will be charged with felonious motor vehicle theft, driving under the influence of drugs and driving after revocation.

He was jailed pending a court appearance.