Paducah Teen Arrested in Hit and Run Case

A Paducah teenager has been arrested and charged with running down a local physician who was riding a bicycle in Noble Park on Sunday, August 18.

Police arrested 18-year-old William T. Hayes Jr., of Jameswood Dr. Wednesday morning as he attended GED classes at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

William Jay Pitman told police he was riding his bicycle and was hit from behind by an unknown vehicle. Pitman was taken to Baptist Health Paducah, where he was admitted for treatment.

Hayes came to the police department on the morning of Aug. 24, to “clear his name,” according to Det. Sgt. Brian Laird. Laird said Hayes told police officers he was a passenger in the car that had hit Pitman, and provided vehicle information and the names of other people who were in the car. That information was passed along to Det. Justin Crowell, who located the vehicle - a red, 1996 Dodge Avenger - on Kimberly Drive in the Lone Oak area, Laird said.

Crowell spoke with the owner of the vehicle, and learned that Hayes had been driving the vehicle around the time of the accident. Over the next few days, Crowell interviewed several people and determined Hayes was driving the vehicle when it hit Pitman and possibly was under the influence of drugs.

At around 10:30 am Wednesday, Hayes was re-interviewed and reportedly admitted he was driving the vehicle when it hit Pitman. Hayes said he had smoked marijuana and taken prescription medication just prior to the accident, Laird said.

Hayes was booked into McCracken County Regional Jail on charges of first-degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident.

According to an arrest citation, he was out of jail on bond for a separate felony offense at the time of the accident.