Jefferson City man gets probation for fleeing scene of accident

Aaron Strickland
Aaron Strickland

A Jefferson City man has been placed on five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to fleeing from police following a July 2018 accident.

Aaron Strickland, 21, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving while revoked.

The crash occurred in the 1400 block of Elizabeth Street, according to Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statements.

The driver of the vehicle Strickland hit told officers she had been traveling on Elizabeth Street when Strickland turned from Myrtle Avenue onto Elizabeth at a high speed. He drove into her lane, and she stopped in the middle of the street to avoid the accident. Strickland drove up on the curb trying to avoid her vehicle but struck the side of the vehicle. Officers said the victim's vehicle suffered significant damage to the passenger side.

Strickland told the victim his license was revoked but had insurance and asked that she not call police. A relative of the victim and passenger in the vehicle called the police after Strickland left. This person later identified Strickland as the driver when shown a picture of him.

The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Several officers combed the area looking for Strickland but couldn't find him.

A few days after the accident, an officer saw Strickland sitting on the back deck of a residence in the 800 block of Clark Avenue. The officer tried to get Strickland to come speak to him, but he took off on foot. The officer used his Taser and took Strickland into custody. For this incident, Strickland was charged with resisting arrest, which he also pleaded guilty to.

Cole County Judge Dan Green placed him on probation and ordered him to pay $276 in restitution.