PORT TOWNSEND — The vehicle involved in a June 10 hit-and-run incident had no mechanical difficulties despite what its driver said at the time of his arrest, police said.
Paul D. Bromfield, 42, was apprehended at his home after he allegedly drove his 2000 Pontiac Grand Am through the uptown district at excessive speeds, hitting a motorist and almost running over a man on a scooter.
At the time of his arrest, Bromfield said the brake and accelerator pedals were both stuck, but an inspection found no such problems, according to Port Townsend Police Officer Luke Bogues.
“Nothing was found indicating a mechanical or operational defect with the vehicle,” Bogues said.
Bromfield, who remains in Jefferson County Jail on a $75,000 bond, was charged with hit-and-run injury accident, reckless driving and two counts of reckless endangerment.
He was arraigned on those charges Friday, entering no plea.
He is scheduled for pre-trial appearances July 10, July 24 and Aug. 7 with the trial scheduled for Aug. 17 and Aug. 18 in Jefferson County Superior Court, 1820 Jefferson St.
According to a report by Bogues, police received multiple calls about a “small black vehicle” that was travelling at excessive speeds through the uptown district June 10.
Dozens say they witnessed the black car driven by Bromfield collide with a Volvo station wagon near the Uptown Theatre, then accelerate eastbound on Lawrence Street, according to police.
The driver of the Volvo, Juliet Tuuri, 18, had been sideswiped on the passenger side, and the rear bumper detached from the car.
Witnesses at the scene said that Bromfield’s vehicle “nearly struck [Tuuri] head on,” according to the report, and nearly crashed into Robert Pray of Port Townsend, who was driving a small scooter.
Witnesses estimated the speed of the vehicle from 50 to 100 mph at various times during the incident, the report states.
In his report, Bogues said he observed a 238-foot-long tire mark from the middle intersection of Lawrence and Monroe streets curving into a 90-degree turn where Lawrence Street bends into Jackson Street.
“The vehicle could not have slowed in that manner if the brakes were not functioning,” Bogues wrote.
Bromfield blamed malfunctioning equipment, according to the report.
He said that he purchased the car a few days earlier from a dealership and that he had lost control of the vehicle because the accelerator and brake pedals were both stuck.
He said he was yelling as he drove as a reaction to losing control of the car.
He said that he recalled hitting someone while he was in the wrong lane and was able to control the vehicle enough to park it near his house at 903 Jackson St.
He said that he didn’t report the incident to the police because he didn’t have a phone, and when he saw the police outside impounding the car, he “didn’t think to come outside and approach the police or the tow truck,” the report states.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
