A late-night Christmas fender-bender resulted in charges for a 72-year-old city man who walked away from the accident he caused, with no intention of reporting the incident to police, according to a Middletown Police report.
On Dec. 25 at 11 p.m., Russell F. Dzialoevans, 72, of Loveland Street was driving a Ford Explorer that rear-ended a car on Rapallo Avenue, police say, but walked away from the scene toward Main Street. A witness captured the accident on a camera mounted to the front of his home, the report says.
Dzialoevans returned to the scene saying he had parked behind the Chevrolet Impala and put the car in reverse to leave but it rolled forward, adding it was not really an accident, police say.
The officer showed Dzialoevans the two cars were still in contact, but he ignored him, the report indicates and said he left the scene to return to the Eagles Club 681 on Stack Street to get some friends to help separate the cars, but had no intention of calling the police. He only had a license that expired in August, the report indicates.
He was charged with operation without minimum insurance and evading responsibility.