A city man drove drunk on Broadway, hit a motorcyclist and fled the scene Monday night, authorities said.
The motorcyclist suffered broken hip and leg bones as a result of the accident. A bystander called police and gave them information that led to the driver’s arrest.
Richard G. Kovatch, 42, of 459 Summer St., now faces charges including second-degree vehicular assault and second-degree assault, both felonies.
He allegedly struck the motorcyclist while driving a pickup truck on Broadway near Genesee Street. He is accused of not stopping after the accident, but police caught up with him a short time later, after a witness relayed the description of his distinctive pickup truck — orange with red doors and a white hood.
Within 20 minutes, police had the pickup and the driver on Cheltingham Avenue, according to police radio traffic.
Kovatch also faces misdemeanor counts of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and driving while intoxicated, along with infractions of refusing to take a breath test and failing to yield the right of way on a left turn.
May 2 accident
The incident was the second in the city this month in which a driver was accused of injuring someone while drunk.
In the earlier incident, Jason Gonzales, 41, of Hulett Street, was accused of driving drunk and hitting a pedestrian. He faces charges of first-degree vehicular assault and second-degree assault, felonies.
He is accused of striking the pedestrian just after 5:30 a.m. May 2 at Hulett and State streets, according to papers filed in court.
The pedestrian was taken to Albany Medical Center with what were described as serious injuries, according to the papers. Gonzales’ blood alcohol content was tested at 0.27 percent, more than triple the legal threshold for intoxication, 0.08 percent.
Gonzales also faces one count each of aggravated driving while intoxicated, unlicensed operation and driving while intoxicated.
Categories: Schenectady County
