CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man will stand trial for hitting his ex-girlfriend with his car while they were at Lower Witmer Park on Aug. 17.
Joshua Alan Lewis, 18, is charged with felony aggravated assault by vehicle and misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, accidents involving death or personal injury, and recklessly endangering another person.
Lewis waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court, sending this case on to the county court.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were called to the area of Water Street and East Locust Street for a hit and run incident.
When they arrived on the scene, the victim was sitting on the curb. She had multiple injuries to her legs and arms that were bleeding. Her hands were bloody and she said had serious foot and rib pain.
Witnesses walking nearby said they saw she was talking to Lewis and didn’t think too much about it. Then when she walked toward them, they could see she was bleeding. The vehicle Lewis was driving then sped out of the parking lot and turned south onto Front Street.
Another witness said he was in the park with the victim who noticed Lewis entering the park. He knew Lewis was her ex-boyfriend, so this witness went over to talk to him while the victim followed. At one point she got into Lewis’s vehicle and he told her to get out, then grabbed her. The witness grabbed her too and got her out, he told police.
The victim was leaning on the driver’s side door when Lewis “stepped on the gas, backing the vehicle up at a high rate of speed,” according to the report. As he did this, the victim was struck with the car running over her feet and legs.
This witness said that Lewis then stopped and told the victim to get behind the vehicle so he could kill her before fleeing the scene.
The victim told a similar story. She said she was leaning over the driver side door when Lewis backed up very fast, causing both of her legs to be run over and catching her arm under the vehicle. She also heard Lewis tell her to get behind the vehicle so he could kill her, she said.
Police were able to find Lewis’s address and traveled to his home where they found the car described in the incident parked outside.
They knocked on the door which was answered by Lewis. They asked if he was in an accident near the park and he admitted he was. He was transported to the police station for further questioning.
In his interview, Lewis said he went to the park because the victim was known to hang out there. He stated she never got into his car.
He did admit he was speaking to her through the window when she slapped him, causing his foot to jerk on the gas pedal and the car to back up, striking her. He claimed he stopped, asked if she was okay and then left the scene. He denied threatening her and stated he tried to call police. Officers were unable to find a call from Lewis on their call log.
Lewis is free on $25,000 bail.
