AVA, Mo.- A Douglas County man faces charges after he allegedly fled the scene of a rear-end crash on the Ava square earlier this month, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Ava Police Department.
The incident occurred on November 6, when officers were dispatched to a non-injury crash near the intersection of Jefferson and Lincoln. The driver of a Kia told police he had stopped at the stop sign before turning and that the vehicle behind him began honking and following closely. He said he stopped again on Lincoln when the other vehicle struck the rear of his car and then sped away eastbound on Highway 14.
A woman—who had been on the phone with her daughter, the Kia’s owner—later told police she followed the fleeing vehicle, described as a white four-door SUV bearing Missouri plates similar to JH6-Z5D. She reported seeing a man she identified as Steven Daniel Adams step out of the driver’s seat before switching places with a female passenger. She confronted the pair, telling them law enforcement had already been notified.
Officers documented damage on the Kia consistent with the reported impact and with the registration information supplied to police. A summons was issued to the Kia’s driver for operating with an expired license, and he was instructed to obtain a repair estimate to determine the appropriate charge level for leaving the scene.
According to police, the estimated damage to the Kia totaled $3,292.28, provided the following day by a local repair shop. Officers also obtained CCTV footage from the Ava square that showed the Kia stopping at the intersection, the SUV following closely behind, and an audible horn sounding before the collision.
Police attempted multiple times to contact the woman listed as the lessee of the SUV but were unable to reach her. Later that evening, a witness came to the Ava Police Department and positively identified Adams from a photo lineup.
Based on the investigation, prosecutors are seeking charges against Steven Daniel Adams for leaving the scene of an accident with property damage exceeding $1,000.
