Woman arrested after hit-and-run accident

A 22-year-old Pennsylvania woman was arrested on Wednesday, November 28, after allegedly hitting another vehicle and leaving the scene of the accident.

Christina Joy Hayes of Hermitage, Pa. was charged with a felony drug charge of controlled substances delivery and two misdemeanor complaints of an accident causing damage to a vehicle and driving while her license was suspended or revoked.

The accident took place near the intersection of Union and North Washington streets in Berkeley Springs.

Hayes was driving in the southbound lane in a 1997 white Chevy Cavalier when she struck the rear of a car driven by an unidentified local woman, according to the criminal complaint filed by Corporal Craig Pearrell of the Berkeley Springs Police Department.

Hayes did not stop after the collision and passed, crossing the center line, police said.

The woman driving the other car drove one block up Union Street to the police station, reported the incident and gave police a description of Hayes' car. The report was taken at 4:30 p.m. by Police Chief Jim Minton and Private First Class Richard Haynes.

Haynes and Minton left the office to look for the car. Haynes spotted the vehicle on Independence Street behind Mike's Garage. Police reported that Hayes was standing outside her car talking on a cell phone.

Haynes noticed damage to the front passenger side of the vehicle and the tire on that side was flat.

When Minton arrived on the scene, he asked the woman if she had been involved in an accident. Hayes said she had not been in an accident, but had hit a curb, according to the criminal complaint.

Officer Haynes asked Hayes three times to

produce her license, registration and proof of insurance. According to the complaint, Officer Haynes obtained an ID card from Hayes and

ran it through the State Police Office in Charles Town. He was informed that Hayes was not a valid

driver.

The woman whose car was hit arrived on the scene and identified Hayes's car as the one that hit her.

After Officer Haynes arrested Hayes, he asked if she had anything illegal in the car and Hayes admitted to having a small amount of marijuana, police alleged.

Minton then called Pearrell and the K-9 unit to the scene. Several small bags of suspected marijuana, a scale, pipes and other drug paraphernalia were allegedly found by police. In addition, pills identified as Diazepam, Morphine and Oxycodone Hydrochloride were discovered in Hayes' purse, police said.

Hayes was transported to the Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg and released the next day on $7,500 bond.