Austintown man jailed after hit skip crash with allegedly stolen car in Youngstown Thursday

An Austintown man is behind bars after a hit skip crash in Youngstown Thursday afternoon.
According to a police report from YPD, police were dispatched to the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Midlothian Boulevard shortly after 3:00 p.m. Thursday for an accident involving a blue Nissan Murano and a brown Mazda 3 Eldridge.
When police were on their way to the scene, police say the Nissan driver, later identified as 31-year-old Eddie Pierce III fled the scene on foot heading eastbound.
Upon arrival, police spoke to the Mazda driver who told officers that he could not catch up with Pierce when he fled and that a witness left the scene in order to look for him.
Police say short time later, officers got a call from the witness who had located Pierce entering a grey pickup truck on the passenger side. Police eventually located the truck and conducted a traffic stop.
Once Pierce was taken back to the crash site, police say they located multiple narcotics tucked in the divider of the car seat Pierce was sitting in including suspected Heroin, Xanax, Crack and Fentanyl. Police say Pierce smelled of alcohol.
Officers conducted standard field sobriety tests, which Pierce failed. Pierce refused additional blood / urine testing while in police custody.
Pierce was booked in the Mahoning County Jail where he's charged with DUI, Driving Under OVI Suspension, Hit Skip, Failure To Yield, Tampering With Evidence, Possession of Controlled Substances and Obstructing Official Business.
Following these charges, police say they noticed a bulge in Pierce's pants. Police say this turned out to be baggies of suspected Ecstasy hidden near his crotch. An additional charge of Illegal Conveyance was added after this.
Following the arrest, Austintown Police contact YPD to let them know that the Nissan being driven by Pierce was a stolen vehicle. Police say the vehicle was not entered as such, so a hold was placed on the vehicle as police await a follow up from Austintown detectives.
Pierce is scheduled to be arraigned in the Youngstown Municipal Court via video on Friday, September 8 at 1:30 p.m.