A Mitchell woman allegedly involved in a hit-and-run incident that left a man with life-threatening injuries earlier this week was arrested on Thursday.
Brittany Price, 32, was charged with a hit-and-run felony and driving without a license for the Wednesday hit-and-run that sent a man to the hospital. According to court documents, Price struck Michael Martinez, 25, of Mitchell, with her vehicle in the early hours on Wednesday near Dick’s Body Shop along West Havens Avenue. She’s facing charges that include a hit-and-run, a class six felony with a maximum punishment upon conviction of two years in prison and a $4,000 fine, along with a class two misdemeanor for driving without a license.
The investigation into the hit-and-run incident began around 8 a.m. Wednesday when the Davison County Sheriff’s Office located a man in a ditch without a shirt and pants. Upon officers arriving to the scene, Martinez appeared to be surrounded in “pools of blood” in the ditch. Martinez was transported to Avera Queen of Peace hospital and later airlifted to Sioux Falls with life-threatening injuries. The Department of Criminal Investigation and South Dakota Highway Patrol led the investigation.
During the investigation, Price admitted she “hit something.” Price said she stopped her black 2007 Dodge Charger to survey the area after she allegedly hit Martinez but claimed she did “not see anything,” according to court documents. Price told authorities that Martinez, her boyfriend, left the vehicle when she went into a home along West Havens Avenue to purchase marijuana around midnight on Wednesday.
After she returned to her vehicle and Martinez was longer inside, she began searching for him in her car along 254th Avenue and allegedly hit Martinez. Price claimed to have called and texted Martinez while she was searching for him early Wednesday morning. Following the hit-and-run, Price made no attempts to contact authorities and report the incident once she made her way home later that morning, court documents say.
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The investigation into the hit-and-run began with authorities making a visit to Martinez’ home in Mitchell. There, a damaged black 2007 Dodge Charger was parked in front of the house, which had a cracked windshield and dents on the front passenger side of the vehicle, according to court documents. Authorities then found remnants of what appeared to be an individual’s hair in the cracks of the circular-shaped windshield break, matching the type of damage that would result from a hit-and-run with another person.
When authorities learned the vehicle owner was Price, they located her at another residence in Mitchell.
Price was arrested Thursday following the investigation and interview. She’s being held in the Davison County Jail, and her bond is set at $4,000.
