O’Fallon teen charged in hit and run that killed man in wheelchair
An O’Fallon teenager was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after a man in a wheelchair was fatally hit on Friday in north St. Louis County.
Brayan Medel, 19, admitted to losing control of his vehicle, after which he fatally hit Steve Lockhart, 68, of Jennings, Missouri, who was in a wheelchair on the shoulder of Lewis and Clark Boulevard just north of Jennings Station Road, according to court documents. Lockhart was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Medel, who was going south on Lewis and Clark Boulevard, also crashed into a van carrying one adult and six children, according to a St. Louis County Police Department news release on Monday. The driver of the van and one child suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Medel exited his vehicle and was found hiding in a nearby neighborhood on Edgewater Drive, according court documents.
Medel’s attorney, Matthew Brown, said in an email statement Monday, “My client is innocent of any wrongdoing. This was nothing more than an unfortunate, weather-related incident. We have been fully cooperative with law enforcement throughout this investigation. We look forward to our day in court.”
Medel, of the 1800 block of Crestview Drive in O’Fallon, was charged Saturday with leaving scene of accident – accident resulting in death, which is a felony, and leaving the scene of accident, which is a misdemeanor, according to court documents.
He was being held Monday in the St. Louis County Justice Center on a $100,000 bond.
This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 5:55 PM.
