DES MOINES, Iowa — The alleged suspect in a deadly hit-and-run crash in Des Moines from April has been arrested.
On Monday, the Des Moines Police Department announced it was searching for Nicholas Johnston, 32, in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash. On April 25, the DMPD and Des Moines Fire Department responded to a crash at the intersection of SE 14th Street and Hartford Avenue. According to the DMPD, Johnston was driving his vehicle southbound on SE 14th when he ran a red light at Hartford Avenue and crashed into a truck.
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The driver of the truck, 77-year-old Raymond Brown, was injured in the crash and transported to a local hospital. The DMPD said Brown died from his injuries roughly five days after the crash.
According to the DMPD, Johnston had fled from the scene on foot before officers arrived, but tried to report his vehicle as stolen a few days after the crash. Efforts to locate him were unsuccessful, leading the department to request the public’s help to locate him.
On Monday evening, the DMPD said Johnston turned himself in to the Polk County Jail. Johnston has been charged with the following in connection with the crash:
- Homicide by vehicle – reckless driving
- Leave the scene of an accident resulting in death
- False report of indictable offense to public entity
- Failure to provide proof of financial liability – accident
- Vehicles fail to respond to steady red light
Polk County Jail records show Johnston is being held on an over $36,000 cash-only bond…