UW basketball player arrested for hit and run

Russ Smith

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Yet another reminder why alcohol and driving a car don't go well together.




UW basketball player arrested
By Bob Condotta

Seattle Times staff reporter


University of Washington basketball player Artem Wallace was taken into police custody early Sunday morning on suspicion of being involved in a hit-and-run car accident on Alki Avenue.

Wallace, a 6-foot-8 reserve forward who recently completed his sophomore season at UW, was one of two suspects investigated and then released following an incident at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Seattle police say the King County Prosecutor's office is expected to file charges later.

A police report stated that a car hit a motorcyclist from behind on Alki Avenue SW. The motorcycle then hit a parked car and the rider fell off.

The vehicle that struck the motorcyclist sped off without stopping to render aid or exchange information, according to a witness quoted in the police report. The witness reported that the vehicle, a 1996 Acura Integra, then lost control about a block north and hit a parked car.

Witnesses described two men opening the trunk of the car and placing several items into a backpack, and putting the backpack in nearby bushes before running off. The backpack was later discovered, and contained several beers and bottles of alcohol, according to the report.

Two police officers arrived soon after the men left the scene of the accident and saw them running north on Alki. When the police officers got out of their car and ordered the two to stop, the pair continued to run before being caught and placed in custody.

The police report described both men as "extremely intoxicated."

Each denied driving the vehicle and none of the witnesses were able to see who had been driving, the report said. The suspects were taken to the Southwest Precinct, identified and released.

UW coach Lorenzo Romar was not available for comment this morning. UW officials said only that they knew of an incident involving Wallace and were still investigating.

Wallace has been primarily a reserve for UW the past two seasons but did start seven games, most coming at the midway point of last season. He averaged 2.4 points. He scored a career-high of 12 points in a loss at Arizona and finished the season with one of his best games, scoring 10 points in the Pac-10 Tournament loss to Washington State. Wallace graduated from Toledo High School after moving from Russia.



Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
 

Skkorpion

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The kid grew up in Russia. Give him a break. They serve vodka in the school cafeterias there instead of milk.
 

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