Hit-and-Run Driver Arrested

The man the Florida Highway Patrol believes caused a crash Monday and fled, leaving his injured passenger behind, has been arrested.

Troopers caught up with Christopher Dohmen at Ulmerton Road and U.S. Highway 19, wrote Sgt. Steve Gaskins in an email to media. He’s been charged with leaving the scene of a crash with injury, leaving the scene with property damage and driving on a suspended license. He also was ticketed for speeding and careless driving.

Dohmen’s passenger Ashley Love of Largo was injured in the crash and required medical attention. She was, however, combative with emergency workers on the scene and wouldn’t help troopers identify the driver of the car she was in, Gaskins said earlier.

For that, Love has been charged with battery upon EMS personnel and violation of probation.

The crash in question involved a 1999 Chrysler 300 registered to Dohmen, 24. The accident occurred around 8:37 p.m. Monday as the Chrysler was traveling south on Belcher Road north of Alderman at a high rate of speed, a highway patrol media release said. As that car was heading south, a Nissan Altima driven by Nicolas Diamantidis, 62, of Merrick, N.Y., was heading north. When the Chrysler crossed into the intersection of Belcher and Alderman, the driver lost control and sideswiped the Altima, the release said.

The Chrysler then struck a curb, hit a light pole and overturned, ejecting passenger Love, 25, of Largo. Dohmen, troopers say, fled the scene on foot.

The passengers in Diamantidis’ car all suffered minor injuries and were taken to Florida Hospital, the release said. They are Anna Diamantidis, 57, and Maria Eskanazy, 62, of Tarpon Springs. Nicolas also suffered minor injuries.

The roadway didn’t reopen to traffic until 5:13 a.m. Tuesday.

Photo Credit: Christopher Frank Dohmen and Ashley Love/Courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol