Bellefonte man left seriously injured passenger on the side of the road after crash, police say
A Bellefonte man who crashed a vehicle in March was arraigned Saturday on charges that accused him of callously leaving a seriously injured passenger along the shoulder of a road and fleeing in an effort to avoid going to jail.
Brandon Jones, 30, crashed into a tree about 12:05 a.m. March 28 along the 3700 block of East College Avenue, State College police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause filed Thursday.
His passenger, who was diagnosed with a spinal fracture and is paralyzed from the chest down, asked Jones to call 911. Jones instead removed the passenger from the vehicle, placed him into the grass and fled, police wrote.
Jones in an April interview with police told an officer he moved the vehicle to the area of Carolean Industrial Drive and Decibel Road to “hide it from police,” police wrote.
A second Bellefonte man, Justin Reish, admitted in a May interview with police that he towed Jones’ Toyota Highlander to a stone parking lot and drove away with Jones once he observed police and EMS vehicles, police wrote.
The passenger in a May interview told an officer he and Jones used heroin before the crash. He also asked Jones to call 911 “multiple times,” though Jones refused, police wrote.
Reish, 32, called 911 “even though Jones asked him not to in fear of going to jail,” police wrote.
A defense lawyer was not listed on a court document for either Jones or Reish.
Jones was charged with one felony count of accident involving personal injury, one misdemeanor count each of recklessly endangering another person and evidence tampering, and three summary traffic violations.
He was arraigned by District Judge Tom Jordan, who released him on $20,000 unsecured bail. Jones’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 15.
Reish was charged Monday with one misdemeanor count each of hindering apprehension and evidence tampering. His preliminary is scheduled for Aug. 5.