Why Woman Charged in Ventnor Hit-and-Run Was Released From Jail

The Delaware woman charged with a hit-and-run crash in Ventnor in November that injured a 92-year-old man was released from jail on Thursday.

51-year-old Leslie Myers from Weldon Park, DE was charged on a warrant with assault by auto, leaving the scene of an accident-causing serious bodily injury, along with several motor vehicle summons.

Myers was taken into custody near Pittsburgh, PA, the day after Christmas, and was released last week under the condition that she turn herself in at the Atlantic County jail.

Her lawyer argued that the mental health issues she is being treated for cast doubt on whether she "knowingly" fled the scene.

On Thursday evening, November 20th, Ventnor Police received multiple 9-1-1 calls saying a person been hit by a vehicle, which fled the scene, at Ventnor and Newport Avenues.

Police found a 92-year-old Ventnor resident lying in the road. He sustained serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Surveillance video showed that the car was a Volvo model and that the driver made no attempt to slow down before hitting the man or to stop afterward.

Court Arguments on Confinement

At Thursday's detention hearing, Assistant Prosecutor Frank Vizzi argued that Myers should be held in jail for leaving the scene of a crash after hitting someone and that she was attempting to hinder apprehension by traveling to Pennsylvania afterwards.

Myers' defense attorney, Lou Barbone, said that she was visiting her mother for Christmas and wasn't aware that police were looking for her, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

Barone said Myers had been recieving treatment for several mental health issues before the crash, including one that is similar to dementia.

"It is framed as having missed or unable to recall blocks of her life. This is not an individual who simply callously and without any regard fled the scene of an accident.

 

This is the kind of accident that was emergent, that was startling to a driver, and perhaps a no-escape situation because of the location of the victim."

Given that Myers had no prior criminal record, Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Ralph Paolone agreed and granted Myers' release on the conditions that she check in with the court weekly and surrender her passport.

She is due back in court on February 25th.