On June 10 at about 7 am, Newtown Officer Fernando Pereira was called to the scene of a reported motor vehicle collision near the intersection of Pine Street and Glen Road.

According to the report, upon arriving, the officer noted damage to a vinyl fence and landscape at a residence on Pine Street, and learned there was a one-car motor vehicle collision at that location at approximately 2 am that morning, involving a suspect vehicle leaving the scene.

Officer Pereira then noted a number of broken vehicle parts at the scene and was able to identify that the vehicle involved was a black Hyundai sedan. Coincidentally, police had reported an arrest following a DUI-related crash earlier that day in the area, also involving a black Hyundai.

Upon further investigation it was determined that parts from the Pine Street incident matched the Hyundai Elantra involved in the earlier incident, which police say was owned and being operated by James Bowers, 25, of Sandy Hook.

Bowers was then issued a misdemeanor summons for a court appearance on June 27, to respond to the charges of evading responsibility, failure to drive right on a curve, and making an improper right turn.

In the related case, police report that at about 2 am on June 10, Bowers was operating the Hyundai northbound on Philo Curtis Road when he went off the roadway and struck a mailbox. The operator stated that he had departed the Sandy Hook Fire Company LobsterFest and was attempting to return home.

According to the timeline in the reports, the Pine Street incident occurred first, and then the operator continued on, becoming involved in the Philo Curtis crash a short time later.

Police say the vehicle sustained heavy front end damage and was towed from the scene. In that incident, Bowers was charged with DUI and making a restricted turn. For those charges, he was assigned a June 27 court date and released on a $100 bond.