The Missouri State Highway Patrol has arrested a 25-year-old St. Louis-area man in connection with a fatal traffic accident in April that left an Indiana man dead.
Early on April 24, the St. Louis man allegedly was driving a white Chevrolet Trailblazer along Hwy. 30 east of Hwy. BB in Cedar Hill and struck a scooter driven by William L. Bentley, 44, of Pendleton, Ind., who had been visiting friends in the area, said Cpl. Juston Wheetley of the highway patrol.
At about 3 a.m., the SUV allegedly struck the scooter from behind, and later, a passerby saw the scooter lying along Hwy. 30 and reported it. Authorities found no body at that time, but at about 6 p.m., an off-duty deputy who was jogging in the area spotted it under some brush, authorities reported.
Bentley was pronounced dead, and authorities began seeking the person who struck the scooter. Surveillance footage from a nearby location showed what looked like a white SUV strike and drag the scooter, leaving sparks behind, in the area where the accident occurred.
Authorities made the surveillance footage public and received a number of leads, Wheetley said. He thanked the public for its assistance.
The highway patrol has since recovered the SUV the suspect allegedly was driving when he struck the scooter, and on Tuesday evening (June 14), the St. Louis man was arrested. He was booked and released pending application for warrants.
Wheetley said the highway patrol will seek charges against the man for leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence. Wheetley said those charges will be sought through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, but as of this evening (June 15), no charges had been filed.