'Booker T. Washington' Charged with Burnsville Hit and Run

A 27-year-old St. Paul man has been charged with a felony after he allegedly hit a Burnsville man with a Chevy Tahoe, then fled before help arrived.

Booker T. Washington has been charged with felony criminal vehicular operation, which carries a sentence of zero to three years in prison and fines ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.

The accident occurred on the morning of Feb. 22, 2013. Around 11:29 a.m. Burnsville Police were called to the scene of an accident on Orchard Drive. When police arrived they saw a man "talking on his cell phone while hopping on his right foot." The man told officers that he was unable to put any weight on his left leg.

The man told police that he'd been plowing his neighbor's driveway when he noticed a blue Chevy Tahoe approaching. The vehicle was coming down the wrong side of the street. The Chevy rammed the tractor's left side, pushing it 20 feet before it came to rest in a snowbank. 

The man was suffering from a fracture in his left ankle, an injury that later required surgery, but before he was taken to the hospital he was able to give police a description of the driver and the license plate number.

The SUV was located in Coon Rapids. The registered owner said he had lent the Tahoe to a friend, Washington. When returning the vehicle, Washington mentioned that he'd been in an accident and offered to pay for repairs, the owner said. Officers observed damage to the front bumper and paint transfer marks that appeared to match the tractor.  

When contacted by authorities, Washington said he left the scene because he was scared. He denied being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.