Man to face traffic counts in addition to assault | Centre Daily Times

A State College man charged with assaulting a woman last month will also face traffic charges in relation to the same incident.

State College police responded to a vehicle accident at Trout Road and Mountain Laurel Drive in College Township on May 4 and found a 1996 Monte Carlo, driven by Benjamin Budd, 34, on its roof. The vehicle was totaled and the accident also damaged a mailbox and an adjacent lawn, causing a total of more than $1,000 in damages, police said.

While handling the accident, police learned of a woman at Mount Nittany Medical Center with back injuries. The woman told police she had suffered the injuries during altercations with Budd that occurred that weekend, according to court documents.

Police said the woman also had “marks, bruises and abrasions” on her neck, shoulders, arms and legs.

The vehicle belonged to the woman and she reported that she did not give Budd permission to drive it, according to court documents.

Budd was charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, reckless endangerment and making terroristic threats and a misdemeanor harassment charge over the reported assault, police said. He was charged Saturday with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a vehicle and summary traffic offenses.

Budd was arraigned before District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker on the new charges Saturday. She set bail at $10,000. He is already held at Centre County Correctional Facility on $75,000 for the first set of charges.

A preliminary hearing on the automobile charges is scheduled for Wednesday.