U.S. Marshals arrest Toledo hit-skip fugitive

May 14—A Temperance man who failed to surrender following a vehicular-assault conviction was arrested Thursday by federal marshals.

Patrick R. Finley, 37, formerly of East Toledo, had been wanted for six months after he failed to turn himself in following his Nov. 16 conviction related to a Feb. 5, 2020 hit-skip traffic crash in northwest Toledo.

Finley had been out on bond with an alcohol-monitoring device when he pleaded no contest to aggravated vehicular assault, a third-degree felony. The plea hearing was conducted by video because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Cook then revoked his bond and ordered him to surrender to the Lucas County Sheriff's Department because he was continuing to abuse drugs, prosecutors said.

But Finley never showed up, and an arrest warrant was issued Nov. 17 for him. He also skipped a Nov. 30 sentencing hearing. He was arrested Thursday in Howell, Mich., and booked into the Lucas County jail pending sentencing next Thursday, at which he faces up to five years in prison and a driver's license suspension of between two and 10 years.

Prosecutors previously said he could be charged additionally for failure to appear in court and bond violation.

Finley's driving troubles on the night of Feb. 5, 2020 began with a noninjury crash on Jackman Road after which, police said, he failed to stop and continued driving to a nearby bar with victims from that crash following him. Because of snowfall that night, police were responding only to injury crashes.

Finley later left the bar and drove on the wrong side of the street, leading to a head-on collision on Lewis Avenue at Mayfair Boulevard, prosecutors said. The other driver in that crash was seriously injured.

Finley tried to flee on foot from the second crash scene, but victims still following him after the first crash tackled him and restrained him until police arrived, prosecutors said.

First Published May 14, 2021, 1:34pm