A pedicab driver in Austin, Texas, was arrested Tuesday following a crash that ejected three of his passengers from the cab, sending them to the hospital.
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by KXAN, an NBC affiliate out of Austin, the pedicab driver, Raven Na, allegedly hit an SUV downtown at around 5 a.m. while three passengers were being escorted in the back of the cab.
Austin Police Department
The passengers were then ejected from the cab. The driver of the SUV called the police and informed them that Na had allegedly left the scene without exchanging information.
The pedicab remained near the scene but had been moved into an “alley by several employees of the same pedicab company.” The officers later found Na about a block away from the scene.
Responding officers concluded that Na may have been driving while intoxicated because of a “strong odor of alcohol coming from his person” and his “bloodshot, glassy, dilated” eyes. After a preliminary sobriety check, Na had a blood alcohol level of .145, a CBS news affiliate out of Austin reported.
Officers also believe the driver may have lied about his account that the SUV crossed double yellow lines, causing Na’s pedicab to collide with the vehicle.
All three pedicab passengers were taken to a nearby hospital where there were treated for injuries. One of the passengers had significant injuries to her left leg, causing her to have emergency surgery. Another fractured her ribs and needed stitches. The third passenger lost part of his shoulder and injured his neck, back, and legs.
Va has been charged with intoxication assault and a third-degree felony for failing to stop and render aid.
