Belleville man charged in Okawville hit-and-run accident that injured juvenile
%20(1).jpg "A Belleville man has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injury and leaving the scene/failure to report death or injury within 30 minutes following an apparent hit-and-run in Okawville.")
A Belleville man is in custody following an apparent hit-and-run accident June 13 in Okawville that left a juvenile hospitalized.
Joseph R. Shelton, 37, of Belleville on Thursday was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injury and leaving the scene/failure to report death or injury within 30 minutes — both felonies.
Charges are pending for another individual involved in the case, but Detective Sgt. Cindy Meyer with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Friday afternoon said she could not disclose any further information about that person or the incident at this time.
“I don’t have anything that wouldn’t compromise the case,” she said.
She also did not disclose the juvenile’s condition or name. According to KSDK-5, the juvenile is 1.
“I told the family I would not comment about his condition,” Meyer said.
Shelton is currently being held in the Washington County Jail with bond set at $30,000, Meyer confirmed.
According to the release, at approximately 9:06 p.m. June 13, Washington County dispatch received a call of a hit-and-run accident involving a juvenile in Okawville. Okawville Police, Okawville Fire, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Washington County Ambulance responded to the scene.
On June 14, Washington County Sheriff Ross Schultze and Okawville Police Chief Adam Hall determined the Washington County Sheriff’s Office would investigate the case, according to the news release. Meyer then conducted interviews, reviewed video footage, and followed up on leads regarding the case before an arrest was made Thursday.
“Sheriff Schultze and Chief Deputy Joe Berry commend and appreciate the hard work and dedication of Det. Sgt. Cindy Meyer for her diligence to solve this case and bring justice to the young child involved. Many thanks to the businesses of Okawville and the public’s assistance in bringing this case to a close,” a release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office stated.
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 4:12 PM.