HANCOCK COUNTY — A man who was wanted in connection with leaving the scene of an accident in Wilkinson was arrested by Greenfield Police Department officers late last week.
Now, Joshua Adam Priest, 32, 100 block of Wood Street, Greenfield, is facing several charges, only two of which stem from the accident he allegedly fled.
Priest made his initial appearance in Hancock County Circuit Court in front of Judge Scott Sirk last week to face a Level 4 felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon; a Level 6 felony charge of intimidation, and a Class B Misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief.
The charges carry sentences totaling up to 15½ years. Sirk set a $5,000 cash bond.
On the night of Aug. 27, at the request of Wilkinson police officers, GPD was on the lookout for an older model Chevrolet Impala sought in a hit-and-run accident that had occurred in Wilkinson.
Officers found the car at a gas station. When an officer approached the car from behind, he saw Priest, who was a passenger, and noticed a handgun tucked in the seat, a probable cause affidavit said.
The officer got the suspect out of the car without incident. The driver of the car told police he thought Priest had broken down and he was only giving Priest a ride. He said he knew nothing about the handgun.
A search of the car revealed a black backpack with a large amount of what police believed to be collectible coins, potential evidence of a burglary, the affidavit said. Inside the backpack, police also found the keys to what turned out to be the suspected hit-and-run vehicle.
The driver of the car was released, the affidavit said, while Priest was taken to the Hancock County Jail.
Priest also faces a Class B misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident, and a Class C misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle without financial responsibility stemming from the accident earlier in the night.
The lesser charges will be heard in Hancock County Superior Court 2. A pre-trial conference is set for Oct. 16. Priest will be back in Hancock County Circuit Court for a pre-trial conference on the more serious felony and one misdemeanor charge Nov. 7.
