Man facing drunken driving charge after allegedly hitting pedestrian

Julie Manganis, The Salem News, Beverly, Mass.
·2 min read

Apr. 28—SALEM — A Swampscott man is facing multiple charges after police say he struck a woman crossing Lafayette Street in Salem early Saturday morning, then left the scene.

Temitope Bailey, 23, of 37 Middlesex Ave. pleaded not guilty to drunken and negligent driving causing serious bodily injury, negligent driving to endanger, leaving the scene of a personal injury crash and failing to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk at his arraignment Tuesday in Salem District Court.

He remains free on the $500 bail he posted several hours after his arrest, which happened shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday.

The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Lafayette Street, where police found a woman lying face down in the roadway between Cedar and Palmer streets with severe injuries to her leg, according to a police report. Officers also found pieces of a car, including a side mirror, in the road.

About a block away on Fairfield Street, police said they found a Nissan Altima with a smashed windshield and other heavy damage parked but still running. The vehicle is registered to Bailey's relative. Officers also found Bailey's Salem State lanyard and ID hanging inside the car.

Police found Bailey on Cedar Street and say he started asking if he was in trouble and if it was about the girl in the road. They say he told the officers he was heading home from a party on Willow Avenue, which is a few blocks south of the crash scene.

Police also spoke to two friends, one of whom Bailey had claimed was a passenger. That man and another man had both been at the same party and told officers they'd tried to stop him from driving home earlier, but that Bailey insisted on leaving because he had a basketball game to coach later Saturday morning.

On his LinkedIn profile, Bailey, a recent Salem State University graduate, says he is a tutor and junior varsity basketball coach at Swampscott High School.

The two friends told police Bailey called them a short time after leaving the party, telling them he needed help finding his car.

Police say breath tests showed that Bailey had a blood alcohol level of .13 after his arrest. The legal limit is .08.

Judge Randy Chapman allowed Bailey to remain free on the $500 bail set Saturday, with conditions that include no driving, no use of alcohol, and no contact with the victim of the crash. Bailey also has to submit to random screens.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for June 18.

Bailey's attorney, Justin Edwards, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis.