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A Bedford man is behind bars after allegedly crashing into the Bedford County Assistance Office while drunk before fleeing the scene.
Michael Allen Leister, 38, was arraigned Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge Tonya M. Osman on single felony counts of causing a catastrophe and criminal mischief - damage property and single misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, unauthorized use of motor vehicles and DUI.
He was remanded to the Bedford County Correctional Facility unable to post $200,000 bail.
Bedford police were notified about 4:42 p.m. Wednesday of a hit-and-run at the Bedford County Assistance Office, 150 North St. Officers were on their way to the scene when they were told the vehicle, operated by Leister, had fled toward the Bedford Interchange, the police report states.
State police at Bedford located the vehicle and Leister at the interchange and took him into custody. Troopers told Bedford police that Leister had multiple open alcohol containers lying in plain view within the vehicle and that Leister almost fell several times after leaving the vehicle, the report states.
Officers reported major structural damage to the assistance office, including broken windows, a hole in the wall and insulation pulled out of the building and into the parking lot. A front bumper was found in the wreckage and officers noted the vehicle had left behind a large debris field along Business 220. Witnesses on scene showed police video footage of the vehicle missing a front bumper as it left the scene. Officers noted that the vehicle's owner told them Leister never had permission to use it, the report states.
Leister is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 18 in front of Magisterial District Judge Kevin R. Diehl.