Ketchikan Police Department. (KRBD file photo)
A 26-year-old Ketchikan man was arrested and charged Saturday with vehicle theft, drunk driving, fleeing an accident scene and assault.
According to the complaint filed in court by Ketchikan Police Sgt. Bob Cheatam, police responded to a report of a vehicle hitting the Waterfront Café on Tongass Avenue, and hitting a vehicle driving on Tongass.
Cheatam writes that when he arrived, the suspect was attempting to leave on foot. The officer caught up with the man in the parking lot of The Landing hotel. Cheatam writes that the man appeared intoxicated and unsteady on his feet.
The complaint states that the truck did not belong to the man, and he didn’t have permission to take it.
The driver of the vehicle that the man allegedly struck was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in the collision. The complaint states that the allegedly stolen vehicle’s front end was crushed and the front bumper ripped away. The other vehicle’s back end was damaged by the initial collision, and the front was damaged when it was pushed into a parked car.
Witnesses told police they had seen the truck also strike parked vehicles on Second Avenue, causing damage; and a flower box in front of the restaurant was damaged, as well.
The 26-year-old suspect refused to provide a breath sample. Police say his driver’s license is revoked. And he has two prior drunk driving convictions, according to the complaint.
The man had his initial court hearing on Sunday in Ketchikan District Court. He pleaded not guilty and was appointed a public defense attorney. Bail was set at $15,000.
In most cases, KRBD does not name defendants until they have been indicted by a Grand Jury.
