LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Lancaster County police are searching for a man accused of hitting a 75-year-old woman with his car and fleeing the scene.
According to the Manheim Township Police Department, at 9:06 a.m. on Oct. 21, officers responded to the 100 block of River Drive in Lancaster Township for a pedestrian struck by a car.
At the scene, officers found a 75-year-old woman had been hit and sustained serious injuries that required hospitalization. Also injured was a dog that the victim's friend had been walking.
The witness was able to identify the striking vehicle as a dark 4-door sedan. Officers obtained surveillance video of the crash from a nearby home.
A second witness contacted police after seeing a CRIMEWATCH post on the incident and reported a vehicle spotted on Route 30 West that was driving erratically and had front-end damage. They provided a Maryland registration plate on the car.
The Maryland registration provided by the witness matched video obtained by both police and EMS dash camera videos.
Using this evidence, John Paul Michels has been identified as a suspect. On Nov. 27, an arrest warrant was obtained for Michels. He is facing two aggravated assault charges.
His whereabouts are currently unknown. Anyone with information on Michels' location has been asked to contact the Manheim Township Police Department at 717-569-6401 or submit an anonymous tip here.
