Driver arrested in fatal hit-and-run after running over man lying in road, charges say

Update, 12:15 p.m. Tuesday: Anchorage police identified the man who died as 32-year-old Phillip Lupie.

Original story:

A 19-year-old was arrested Monday in connection with a hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian late Sunday, Anchorage police said.

The man who died was not immediately identified on Monday.

Josiah Martinez is accused of driving over the man as he was lying in the road on 11th Avenue between Karluk and Juneau streets around 11:30 p.m., according to a summary of police reports written by Assistant District Attorney David Buettner.

Martinez was driving a Subaru that belonged to a family member, but does not have a license, the summary said.

The drivers of two other vehicles stopped because they noticed the man lying in the roadway, possibly sleeping, and called Anchorage Safety Patrol to respond, it said.

Martinez pulled up behind one of the vehicles and then drove around it, striking the man and continuing westbound, the summary said.

The man was brought to a hospital where he died from injuries, police said.

Martinez appeared for his first court hearing Monday at the Anchorage Correctional Complex. District Court Judge Michael Franciosi approved a $1,000 unsecured bond for Martinez, meaning he could be released from custody, but would pay a fine if he violates his conditions of release.

During the hearing, a prosecutor said Martinez appeared to be “a young person who panicked during a stressful situation.” He was assigned a public defender.

Both drivers said they honked their horns to get Martinez’s attention before he struck the man, according to the police report summary.

Police reviewed surveillance video taken before the collision that showed the pedestrian walking in the road and appearing to stumble, the summary said. The man dropped a Pepsi bottle, bent over to retrieve it, and lay down in the center of the street, it said. The video also showed someone apparently trying to wake him.

The man was in the road for about 15 minutes before he was hit, the summary said. The surveillance footage showed the two drivers stop and showed Martinez strike the man “at a high speed,” it said.

Police said they located Martinez by tracking down the Subaru using the license plate captured on video.

Officers spoke with a relative who initially claimed responsibility but also spoke with Martinez, who said he was the driver, according to the summary. He told police he didn’t have a license, but occasionally drove himself to work and other places, it said.

Martinez said he’d gone to a fast food restaurant that night and believed he struck some type of car part on the way home, the summary said. He told his family member he had struck something and was concerned he damaged the car, it said.

Martinez is facing charges of leaving the scene of a crash and failure to render aid and was cited for driving without a valid license, police said.

The investigation was ongoing and additional charges may be filed, they said.