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Alleged hit-and-run driver charged with DWI

By Howard B. Owens

A 23-year-old Erie County man is accused of striking a minivan and another car at the intersection of Sumner Road and Route 77 at 8:29 p.m. yesterday.

The driver then allegedly fled the scene and was later located in East Aurora.

Jonathan Paul Murphy is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and failure to stop at a stop sign.

The driver of the minivan reported some pain to Deputy Eric Seppela, but was not seriously hurt. None of the children in the minivan were hurt, Seppela said.

The driver of the third car was also uninjured.

The hit-and-run vehicle was traced to Murphy after Seppela found a license plate from the vehicle at the scene of the accident.

The vehicle was later found by a witness in Erie County and Murphy was reportedly seen going into a building. He was taken into custody by State Police and transported back to Genesee County were he was evaluated for alleged DWI and charged.

UPDATE: Additional details released by the State Police. Murphy was reportedly found in the area of Two Road Road, Marilla, after Trooper Timothy Roof responded to the area where the car was registered and reportedly found it abandoned on Two Road Road. A nearby resident reported to Roof  that he thought someone was in his back yard. Murphy was reportedly found hiding in a corn field.

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