A Nampa man is hospitalized in critical condition after he was run over while assisting a neighbor stuck in a snow bank.
His wife witnessed it all, and the man allegedly behind the wheel at the time denies any wrongdoing.
"He stopped, he got out, my husband was screaming in pain," Jonica Felty said in tears. "I yelled, "you ran over my husband!" and started screaming for help and said, 'call 911!' and as soon as I said that he jumped back in his truck."
Shortly after 11:30 p.m. Sunday night, Canyon County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a hit-and-run accident in the 13000 block of Lake Shore Drive in Nampa near Lake Lowell.
The reporting party told a Canyon County dispatcher that her husband, identified as Benjamin Felty, 33, of Nampa, had been run over while assisting the suspect, Roger Faull, 50, also of Nampa, free his truck from a snow-covered driveway.
“While attempting to free Faull’s truck, Felty’s truck became stuck in the snow,” said Canyon County spokesman Joe Decker.
Ben's wife, Jonica, arrived with another 4x4, ultimately pulling both trucks free.
Jonica says her husband was in the process of unhooking the tow strap from the front of Faull's car when Faull hit the gas and ran over her husband's chest.
“A short time later, deputies went to Faull’s home and made repeated attempts to have someone come to the door and speak with them. However, no one responded. Seeing that Faull’s truck was still parked at the residence, deputies requested and received a search warrant. Upon entry, they located Faull in a bedroom and he was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Canyon County Jail for leaving the scene of an injury accident, which is a felony,” Decker stated.
Felty was transported by ground ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, where he is said to be in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit with injuries to his chest and torso.
At his arraignment Tuesday afternoon at the Canyon County Courthouse, Faull said he did not run over Felty and denied any wrongdoing. According to the Canyon County website, Faull faces a single count of leaving the scene of an accident.
Judge John Meienhofer told Faull, “Sir, you ran somebody over who is now fighting for his life in the hospital.”
The judge felt it was “absolutely outrageous” that Faull reportedly did not answer his door, thus requiring law enforcement personnel to obtain a search warrant
The judge set Faull’s bond at $1 million.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 31st.
