Austin man charged with DWI after hitting cop car, driving away

The driver, 34-year-old Thomas Hopes, reportedly told police that he had been in a collision earlier in the evening and that he was the only driver of his vehicle that night.

AUSTIN, Texas - A 34-year-old has been arrested for hitting a police car and then leaving the scene of the crime. He was arrested later when he returned to the scene.

According to the Austin Police Department, a police officer was using his vehicle to block an entrance ramp for I-35 due to a traffic fatality around 2:16 a.m. on Sunday, November 21 when he was struck by another vehicle. Shortly after the collision, the vehicle reversed and left without attempting to exchange information.

The police officer said the vehicle that hit his patrol vehicle had the Texas license plate PSL6296. The police officers also observed that it was a 2013 black Mercedes Benz with significant damage to the front left side. The vehicle could be seen and heard dragging its front bumper driving off down East Yager Lane.

Police officers were still responding to the traffic fatality on I-35 around 2:58 p.m. when the police officer who was struck saw the 2013 black Mercedes Benz that had hit him traveling southbound on the service road for I-35. Police officers approached the vehicle and asked the driver to pull over.

The driver, 34-year-old Thomas Hopes, was immediately detained in handcuffs.

Hopes told police that he was driving home from The Domain. He also reportedly told police that he had been in a collision earlier in the evening and that he was the only driver of his vehicle that night. Hopes has been charged with a DWI and leaving the scene of a collision.

A police officer was using his vehicle to block an entrance ramp for I-35 due to a traffic fatality on November 21 when he was struck by Thomas Hopes.

___
DOWNLOAD: FOX 7 AUSTIN NEWS APP
SUBSCRIBE: Daily Newsletter | YouTube
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter