Austin man arrested following crash

Published 9:59 am Monday, April 26, 2010

A 23-year-old Austin man was arrested Friday afternoon after fleeing the scene of an accident and eventually being found by authorities hiding in a nearby garage.

The man, who appeared drunk at the time of his arrest, had not been formally charged in Mower County court as of Monday morning.

According to a sheriff’s department report, the accident occurred on Friday at around 3 p.m. near 2507 Fourth Drive SW. The report indicates that the man drove the car into a ditch, clipped a mailbox and ended up slamming into a tree. From there, he reportedly took of running.

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Authorities spoke with a 29-year-old passenger, who said his friend ran because he had been drinking before driving. The passenger was later treated at Austin Medical Center for his injuries.

Authorities then initiated what Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi described as an “intense” search in the area. At around 4:13 p.m., they received a call from a nearby resident who thought someone was in the home’s garage. Deputies went to the residence, located in the 2400 block of Fourth Drive SW, and noticed blood on the garage floor and a few disturbed boxes. They then found the suspect in the garage’s upper level, and he turned himself in without incident at around 4:30 p.m., the report states.

The man was taken to AMC to have his right hand, which appeared broken, looked at. However, the suspect refused treatment at the hospital. He was then taken to jail and remains in custody.

The car involved in the crash sustained “extensive” damage, Amazi said.