Deputies arrest man on hit-and-run, DUI charges

St. Johns County Sheriff's Office booking photo of Kenneth Adam Tong

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A 31-year old St. Johns County man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a hit-and-run crash that caused a serious injury nearly four months ago.

Kenneth Adam Tong was charged with leaving the scene of a crash with injury, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and DUI causing serious bodily injury to another and was booked into the County Jail in lieu of bonds totaling $100,000.

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The investigation began on Nov. 1, 2014 shortly after 2 a.m. when Tong got into an argument with two women in the parking lot of Ned's Southside Kitchen and Krystal's on U.S. 1 South.

Tong sped forward from the parking spot where the car was parked, squealing the car's tires, and stopped shortly after in the parking lot of Ned's. Witnesses said Tong then sped in reverse and stopped shortly after driving over the curb stop into the grass partition between the two restaurants.

He then sped in reverse toward a crowd and struck one of the women from the original argument with his car, causing critical injuries.

After hitting the woman, Robin Wetherington, Tong fled the scene and was followed by a cab driver who called the Sheriff's Office.

Patrol deputies stopped Tong in the area of Shores Boulevard and Dorado Drive and noticed Tong showed signs of impairment, but he refused to submit to roadside field sobriety exercises at the scene.

A search warrant was obtained for Tong's blood, who was deemed to be impaired when the crash occurred. Major Crimes Unit Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Tong on the three charges Wednesday. He was located late Wednesday afternoon and taken into custody without incident.

Tong will have a first appearance hearing Thursday morning.