SALEM — A woman who crashed into a downtown building and then drove away was quickly caught thanks to a vanity plate that had a witness seeing JSTARS.
Because she did not have permission to use the vehicle, a red Nissan, Danielle M. Pruitt, 41, 81/2 Williams St., Salem, is charged in its unauthorized use as well as driving after her license was suspended, both repeat offenses, driving to endanger and leaving the accident scene.
Police were called at 10:03 a.m. yesterday to a building at 203 Washington St. where a witness told them he saw a vehicle "jump the curb" and strike the building, according to the log.
He added that a woman "very skinny build, got out of the Nissan and looked at the damage and jumped back into the car. She then backed the car off the building and drove out onto Washington Street."
The witness had also spotted the vanity license plate from Maine reading JSTARS. Police quickly traced the plate to a York, Maine, man who also had an address on Williams Street in Salem.
The owner of the car told police he was asleep when Pruitt took it, police said.
Officer Kathleen Rocheville meanwhile located the vehicle near Williams Street, where it displayed heavy front-end damage. Pruitt was located, and police note she is "very well known" to them from previous arrests.
According to the police report, "When Rocheville spoke to Ms. Pruitt and said to her, 'Do you known why I'm here?' Ms. Pruitt said 'Yes because we just hit the building downtown.' She maintained, however, that there was no damage to the building.
The building inspector was called to assess the condition of the Washington Street structure. Damage to the "knee wall" and "plate glass windows" was noted in the log.
Also responding were Patrolman William Jennings and Sgt. Peter Gifford.
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