WNY News Now

Jamestown Police Say Snow Trail Led Officers to Suspected Driver

(WNY News Now) – Jamestown police arrested a city resident early Sunday morning following a crash that left a utility pole nearly sheared in half and the driver allegedly fleeing the scene.

According to the Jamestown Police Department, officers from the 3rd Platoon responded to Hallock Street and Chapel Street around 1:06 a.m. on November 30 for a report of a vehicle that had left the scene of a property damage accident. When officers arrived, they discovered a severely damaged utility pole and began canvassing the area for possible surveillance footage.

Police say door-to-door checks revealed several homes with security cameras. After reviewing footage, officers identified a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed before losing control and striking the pole. Snow-covered roads then helped officers trace the vehicle’s escape path to a nearby residence.

There, officers located the vehicle and made contact with its registered owner, 29-year-old Jamestown resident Ronald T. Troutman. Investigators determined that Troutman had been driving at the time of the crash and was allegedly intoxicated.

Troutman was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Jamestown City Jail. He is charged with Driving While Intoxicated and issued traffic tickets for Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident, Unsafe Speed, and Moving From Lane Unsafely.

He was held pending arraignment in Jamestown City Court.