A Superior man who allegedly drove off after striking a vehicle that had stopped to allow pedestrians to cross the street made an initial appearance in Douglas County Circuit Court last week.
Mark Douglas Locken, 48, faces felony hit and run with injury.
According to the criminal complaint:
A southbound driver had stopped at the 6300 block of Tower Avenue on June 2 to let a woman pushing a stroller with young children in it cross the street. Another vehicle struck her from behind, pushing it over the boulevard into the Kimmes Oil and Tire lot, narrowly missing one of the gas pumps.
The vehicle that struck hers turned onto North 64th Street and drove around Kimmes Oil and Tower, crossed Tower Avenue and headed eastbound. Witnesses and video surveillance showed the vehicle made no attempt to slow prior to the impact, and that at least one of the airbags in the vehicle deployed.
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The woman whose vehicle was struck was diagnosed with a sprained wrist.
Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Dan Howe traced the vehicle involved to Locken. At his Superior residence, they found a Honda Ridgeline with front end damage. A piece of grille that had been collected from the scene of the crash fit perfectly into the damaged area of the grille, "as if it were a puzzle piece."
Locken told Howe remembered his airbags deploying in front of Kimmes Oil and Tire, but didn't remember seeing any vehicle or pedestrians. He thought he may have hit a post. Locken admitted to Howe that following the incident, he did not come to a stop, exit his vehicle to look around, call 911 or report it to law enforcement.
He was released on a $2,000 signature bond and ordered to have no contact with the injured motorist in the incident. His next court appearance is set for June 21. If convicted, Locken faces up to nine months of imprisonment and fine up to $10,000.
