PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Clearwater man has been charged with DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash involving death after he hit a pedestrian early Saturday morning.
The Clearwater Police Department (CPD) said the incident happened at approximately 12:42 a.m., near the intersection of Missouri Avenue and Druid Road.
CPD said multiple callers reported a man lying on the road injured or dead. When officers arrived, they found a 34-year-old man dead in the roadway. He was identified as Joshua Maxson of Clearwater.
According to authorities, the vehicle involved left the scene, but officers were able to track down the driver about 20 minutes later and arrest him.
Christian Hooks, 22, was speeding northbound on Missouri Avenue when he struck Maxson, police said. According to an arrest report, police estimated he was driving 65 miles an hour in the 40-mile-an-hour zone.
The report said the crash caused Maxson to become trapped in the windshield of the car. It also said Hooks drove approximately 150 feet with Maxson stuck in the windshield before the victim fell out and hit the road.
CPD said Hooks took a sobriety test, and two breath samples of .217 and .223 were obtained — nearly three times the legal limit of .08%.
The report said a friend of Hooks called the police and reported the crash.
The report said Hooks made several incriminating statements to police.
Hooks was later charged and booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
