A 49-year-old Racine man is accused of rear-ending a woman and then fleeing the scene, according to the Racine Police Department.
Joseph Davis was charged Tuesday by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with one felony count of hit-and-run causing injury and one misdemeanor count of driving with a revoked license. If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in prison and/or up to $11,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint, several witnesses on Oct. 2 saw a man – later identified as Davis – hit the back of another vehicle near the intersection of 20th Street and Taylor Avenue. The female driver of the affected car told officers she had neck and back pain that required transport to Ascension All Saints hospital.
A man who saw the crash followed Davis from the scene until Davis’ car died in the middle of the road. The man said he tried to get Davis to remain with the vehicle until police arrived, but he fled. Officers were provided the license plate number of Davis’ car, which helped them identify him.
Davis turned himself into police by appearing at the police department, the complaint reads. While he was being questioned about the incident, Davis said he was distracted by a “disturbance on the side of the road,” which caused the accident. He pulled into a nearby parking lot but left because two women were yelling at him.
Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch assigned Davis a $1,000 signature bond at his initial appearance Tuesday. He will next be in court Dec. 6 for a preliminary hearing.