Man faces jail time for fleeing 2 crashes
NORRISTOWN » A Norristown man received some time behind bars when he admitted that he failed to stop after being involved in vehicle crashes in West Norriton and Lower Providence and fled from police during one of the incidents.
Timothy Williams Jr., 28, who listed addresses in the 500 block of West Lafayette Street and the 500 block of Kohn Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 75 days to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of accidents involving damage to attended vehicles or property and fleeing or attempting to elude police in connection with two incidents that occurred between April and May 2018.
Judge Thomas C. Branca, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Williams to complete one year of probation following parole, meaning he will be under court supervision for about three years.
Williams also faces a 12-month license suspension and he must pay $17,568 in restitution in connection with damage he caused to the victims’ vehicles and property during the two incidents.
Court documents indicate that at about 10:38 p.m. May 2, 2018, West Norriton police attempted to stop a vehicle that made an illegal Uturn at the intersection of Egypt Road and Willowbrook Drive. The investigation determined the vehicle was operated by Williams.
“Williams refused to stop the vehicle after being signaled by police and drove the vehicle at a high rate of speed with
complete disregard for the public and his passenger,” West Norriton Police Officer Christopher Avery alleged in the arrest affidavit.
While fleeing, Williams attempted to travel in the wrong direction on Jefferson Avenue, colliding with two parked vehicles before striking the porch of an occupied home, according to court papers.
After crashing, Williams climbed from the driver’s side window, fled the scene on foot, leaving a female passenger behind and failing to provide aid or information as required by law, police alleged.
The passenger told police she had begged Williams to stop because she did not want to die but that he continued to drive on, according to the arrest affidavit. The passenger told police she feared she was going to be thrown from the vehicle during the crash.
Police determined that the vehicle Williams was operating belonged to a Norristown woman.
At the time of the May crash, Williams was wanted for an April 18 hit-and-run incident in the 2700 block of Ridge Pike in Lower Providence. A Collegeville man traveling eastbound on Ridge Pike told police his vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle which then fled.
A witness managed to take a cellphone photo of the striking vehicle’s registration plate and police traced it to a Norristown woman who told police she suspected Williams had taken her vehicle without her permission, according to the arrest affidavit filed by Lower Providence Police Officer Matthew Ian Cerasuolo.
Court papers did not indicate when Williams was taken into custody in connection with the two incidents.
Other charges of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, careless and reckless driving, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving without a license were withdrawn against Williams as part of the plea agreement.