A Blair County man is facing charges for allegedly fleeing the scene after striking another vehicle on North Atherton Street then crashing through a parking gate in a downtown State College garage.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Ferguson Township police on Monday, a man later identified as Thomas J. Turnbaugh, 33, was driving a black Dodge Ram on North Atherton Street on the night of April 11 when he rear-ended and caused major damage to a car that was stopped at the North Hills Place intersection. Two passengers in the car sustained strained necks and backs and one had a bruised tailbone, police wrote.
Witnesses told police that the driver left the scene without stopping and was observed speeding and swerving, as well as running a red light, according to the affidavit.
Less than an hour later, State College police were dispatched to the Pugh Street parking garage, where an attendant reported a driver showing signs of impairment crashed through the exit gate.
A review of security camera footage showed Turnbaugh fumbling and dropping his ticket five times and nearly falling over because he was unable to maintain his balance, police wrote.
After unsuccessfully making payment, Turnbaugh drove the truck to the exit and stopped before “deliberately ramming the gate,” and going over the curb in the process, according to an affidavit. The gate became unhinged and sustained approximately $1400 in damage, and six other vehicles exited without paying because of the broken gate until traffic was diverted with cones, police wrote.
The truck was tracked to Turnbaugh’s father and state police at Huntingdon were dispatched to his address. He said his son was using it and often went to State College, according to the affidavit.
Police were unable to locate the younger Turnbaugh that night but contacted him the following day. He allegedly asked if anyone had been hurt and said that he fled the scene of the crash because he was scared, telling a Ferguson Township officer that he had accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake.
When asked how intoxicated he was at the time of the crash, Turnbaugh said “not that intoxicated,” police wrote.
Turnbaugh also contacted State College police and admitted to breaking the parking garage gate, saying he drove through it because he didn’t have his ticket, according to an affidavit.
He was charged on Monday by Ferguson Township police for the Atherton Street crash with misdemeanor counts of accident involving personal injury and accident involving damage to an attended vehicle, as well as a summary offense of driving at an unsafe speed. A preliminary hearing in that case is scheduled for July 9.
Turnbaugh was charged by borough police on May 28 with two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief – damage to property for the parking garage incident. A preliminary hearing on those charges is scheduled for June 25.
