No DUI Charge For Sutter County Fire Chief After Leaving Scene Of Crash
SUTTER COUNTY (CBS13) — A hit in run in a McDonald's parking lot Sunday night ended with Sutter County Fire Chief John Shalowitz in custody for public intoxication and leaving the scene of a crime.
On Sunday night, Yuba City police were called to a non-injury collision at McDonald's on Stabler Lane around 8:30 p.m. Police say one car rear-ended another in the drive-through.
Police say they didn't respond to the scene right away because they were on other high-priority calls, but when they did arrive on the scene, they got a call from Shalowitz advising them he'd been in the collision, and that he had left the McDonald's parking lot because it was taking too long for officers to arrive.
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Police said they went to Shalowitz's home about an hour later.
Lt. Brian Baker of the Yuba City Police Department said, "at that point in the investigation it was determined that he was intoxicated to the point that he wasn't able to care for the safety of himself or others and he was arrested for a charge of public intoxication."
According to officials, Shalowitz was not arrested on DUI charges because officers could not prove he was intoxicated when he was driving or at the time of the accident.
A police department spokesperson says its investigation is wrapping up but it will be recommending felony hit and run charges to the DA's office.
A county spokesperson says Chief Shalowitz has returned to work but that he was unavailable for comment.