Cops: Man drank alcohol before hit-and-run

A city man is facing charges after police say he crashed into another vehicle after he had been drinking.

MIDDLETOWN >> A city man is facing charges after Middletown police say he crashed into another vehicle last week after he had been drinking.

Scott S. Lewkowicz, 54, reportedly told police he’d had a couple of beers and a couple shots of Jack Daniels before hitting the road Jan. 5.

But subsequent breath tests found his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, police said.

Officers responded at about 6:20 p.m. that day to a call from someone who said Lewkowicz had rear-ended his or her vehicle and fled the scene on High Street near Warwick Street.

The caller stayed on the line with police as they followed Lewkowicz, who pulled into his driveway in the 500 block of Highland Avenue a short time later. Three police officers and a sergeant arrived immediately afterward.

The caller told police a Toyota Corolla had hit his truck from behind as he had slowed for traffic on High Street. The victim then followed the Toyota as it allegedly drove away at a high speed and nearly caused several other accidents.

When police spoke to Lewkowicz, he admitted he’d been driving the Corolla and said the pickup had stopped suddenly. He told police he had rearended it and left the scene because he’d been drinking, according to the report.

Lewkowicz reportedly failed a field sobriety test and was arrested. Subsequent blood alcohol breath tests allegedly found his BAC was 0.1736 and then 0.1625, police said. The legal limit for noncommercial drivers in Connecticut is 0.08.

Lewkowicz was charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving and evading responsibility. He was released on $500 bail and is to appear Jan. 18 in Middletown court.