Joey A. Willard is being held in the Ada County Jail on DUI and felony leaving the scene of an injury crash charges after Boise police say he was drunk when he drove a van through a red light and into a car with a woman inside who was nine months pregnant and then ran away from the wreckage Monday night.
Officers found the 20-year-old Willard a short distance away at a convenience store. A breath test later revealed Willard had a .129 blood alcohol content percentage level, which exceeds the Idaho bac legal limit of .08, according to police reports.
Witnesses told police Willard was driving a 1997 Chrysler Van northbound on N. Cloverdale Road around 11:40 p.m. Monday when he drove it through a red light at the Fairview Avenue intersection and hit a silver Mitsubishi sedan, which was going west.
Witnesses told police that the driver, later identified as Willard, jumped out of the van following the crash and ran away. When police arrived, they found a man and woman still in the Mitsubishi sedan. Paramedics took both of them to the hospital for treatment of what appeared to be non life-threatening injuries.
Police reports do not have any information on if the womans pregnancy was affected by the crash.
Police, who were able to identify Willard as the driver of the van by undisclosed evidence at the crash and by witness descriptions, found him in front of a convenience store at Ustick and Five Mile roads. Police say Willard smelled strongly of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests before being taken to the jail, where he took the bac breath test.
Police then arrested Willard and booked him into the jail. Boise police reports show him to be charged with a misdemeanor DUI, but Ada County prosecutors could change that charge to a felony if they determine drunken driving caused someone else to suffer an injury.
Willard will make his initial court appearance later Tuesday.
The felony crime of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury or death is punishable by up to five years in prison.


Caldwell teen gets extended treatment diversion in stabbing case

