Police: Port Arthur man hit-and-run and injured another man claimed his car was stolen
Published Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 12:20 p.m
A Port Arthur man involved in a vehicle accident reportedly left the scene, parked his car and then called police the next day to say his car had been stolen.
On Wednesday, a Jefferson County grand jury indicted Lamar Rashad McDaniel, 36, on one count of accident with injury/death in connection with the Nov. 14 crash.
Port Arthur Police responded to the crash at 1700 Woodworth Blvd. and learned that a vehicle had left the scene without stopping and giving their name or insurance information.
The other driver complained of pain and injuries and was taken by ambulance to Southeast Texas Medical Center for treatment.
An officer found a 2007 Toyota a block from the scene with fresh, heavy front-end damage that was reportedly registered to McDaniel. Police contacted McDaniel by phone and told officers he would not meet in person.
The following morning, November 15, the defendant reported that his vehicle had been stolen at the same time as the accident. He said he saw the crash at a convenience store a block from his home and saw police cars, but did not approach officers to tell him his vehicle had been stolen, the document says .
McDaniel told police he used his debit card to make a purchase at the store to prove his alibi and that he would obtain his bank records to verify the purchase.
The investigation showed that the store was closed on the night of November 14 from approximately 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. due to a power outage.
Police also checked with Entergy customer service who found that the outage affected about 1,100 customers. The document states McDaniel failed to show police any bank records, leading authorities to believe he was the driver.
McDaniel was arrested Jan. 26 on a bond for accident involving injury or death with bond set at $15,000. He remains in the county jail as of Thursday night.
