AUBURN — A local man was charged Tuesday with three felonies stemming from a hit-and-run in July that left a woman hospitalized.
Michael Fowler appears in July in 8th District Court in Lewiston from Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn on a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury or death. Screenshot from video
An Androscoggin County grand jury indicted Michael Fowler, 65, with leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury or death, driving to endanger and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
Each charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The woman reportedly suffered a fractured skull and was taken to a Lewiston hospital before she was transferred to a Portland hospital for treatment.
Fowler didn’t enter any pleas to the charges at his initial court appearance in July.
In order for a felony charge to go to trial, a grand jury must hand up an indictment showing there is probable cause to charge the defendant with the crime.
A car matching the description of Fowler’s was seen on the surveillance video of a downtown Auburn business at 4:15 a.m. on July 6 striking a woman in the road and not stopping, according to a police affidavit.
Prosecutors told a judge that the alleged victim’s sister saw what she thought was a vehicle in the driveway of 74 Fourth St. in Auburn. When police went to that location, they found a light blue, four-door sedan that had significant damage to the right, front passenger-side mirror and side door and front headlight.
Fowler worked as a cab driver, according to prosecutors.
He told police that he experiences periodic fits of sneezing and doesn’t see well at night, according to prosecutors.
In imposing bail, a judge told Fowler he was prohibited from driving until his medical condition that appeared to interfere with his ability to drive safely had been investigated.
Fowler was later released from Androscoggin County Jail on $500 cash bail with supervision by Maine Pretrial Services.
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