Stafford Man Faces Charges In 2 Hit-And-Run Accidents:Police

STAFFORD, VA — A 43-year-old Stafford man faces multiple criminal charges after he was involved in two hit-and-run accidents within a short period before police found him in the parking lot of a local store, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Herbert Palmer faces charges of two counts of hit and run, assault and aggressive driving. Police said Palmer was involved two incidents with other motorists, the first of which took place just after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 3300 block of Jefferson Davis Highway.

The victim in that accident told police that Palmer’s vehicle rear-ended his and that both drivers pulled over to the side of the road, police said. The person told police that Palmer approached the vehicle and began yelling, police said. A witness then approached both drivers to check on them and Palmer tried to punch the witness but missed, police said, and he then returned to his vehicle and left, traveling south.

Just nine minutes later, police said, they received another call about a report of a hit-and-run involving Palmer’s vehicle. Police said they learned that after leaving the scene of the first accident, Palmer was driving on Garrison Road when he cut in front of another vehicle and almost hit the front end of the vehicle. Police said that Palmer then stopped abruptly, which caused the other person’s vehicle to strike the back of his car, police said. Palmer then continued driving before police found him in the parking lot of a store along Garrison Road, police said.

Palmer was being held in the Rappahannock Regional Jail on $2,500 secured bond.