Suspect in hit/run that resulted in a woman losing her leg waives hearing

WILKES-BARRE — A New York City man who fled the scene after striking a woman who lost her right leg waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Luzerne County Central Court Friday.

Unique Levon Jones, 29, of Bronx, remained jailed without bail at the county correctional facility after he waived charges of aggravated assault by vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude police, simple assault and criminal trespass to county court.

Prosecutors withdrew charges of flight to avoid apprehension, theft, unlawful restraint, accidents involving injury, reckless endangerment, several traffic violations and a second count of simple assault against Jones.

Wilkes-Barre police allege Jones was driving a Chevrolet when he struck Angela Velazquez, 38, as she crossed East Northampton Street at South Main Street on Feb. 10.

Velazquez, of Kingston, suffered serious injuries and had her right leg amputated. She underwent several surgeries at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Dauphin County.

Police were pursuing the Chevrolet that fled a traffic stop in the 100 block of South Empire Street. Jones was a passenger in the vehicle and jumped into the driver’s seat and sped away from officers.

Police Chief Joseph Coffay had said a pursuit was called off prior to Velazquez being struck.

An officer spotted the Chevrolet on East Northampton Street, about a block from South Main Street.

After Jones allegedly struck Velazquez, police said he abandoned the vehicle behind a residence on West South Street, banged on a door of a residence saying to a woman inside, “I’m shot and need help,” before he forced open the door and entered.

Police allege Jones then entered the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center on the Wilkes University campus, forced a female student to give him a ride where he got into an Uber vehicle, which drove him past the scene at East Northampton and South Main streets.

Jones was captured by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Unit in Greensboro, N.C., on March 4. Jones has family in the Greensboro area.