Champaign man charged with leaving scene of an injury accident
Aug. 10—URBANA — A Champaign man who allegedly hit a man with a vehicle and left, saying the injured person had walked away, has been charged with a felony.
Chabrail Jones-Premo, 28, who listed an address in the 1800 block of Joanne Lane, was arraigned Thursday on charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury.
A University of Illinois police report said that about 7:20 p.m. July 28, an Urbana man was jogging through a crosswalk on Orchard Drive when he was struck by a black sport utility vehicle.
The 33-year-old man lost consciousness and recalled waking on the opposite side of the sidewalk. He had scrapes and bruises to his arms and face and other injuries to his hip and pelvis.
A witness said an SUV driver stopped briefly after the accident, then drove off without helping the jogger, according to the report.
Police obtained video from the area showing Jones-Premo pulling into a nearby parking lot minutes after the accident. He got out and inspected the front bumper and hood of the SUV, then used both hands to push the hood down, the report said.
On Aug. 4, police found Jones-Premo to talk to him about the accident. After telling him of the video they had, he admitted he hit the man but said the man had suddenly run into the road as if he were trying to be struck.
He also told police he was driving about 10 to 15 mph when he hit the man and that he stopped to check on him but that the man walked away.
Jones-Premo admitted he was scared and left the area. Police examined his SUV and found a dent in the hood.
Judge Brett Olmstead allowed Jones-Premo to remain free on his own recognizance and gave him time to try to hire his own attorney. He told him to return to court Aug. 25.
