Warrant issued in parking lot runover case

YOUNGSTOWN — A warrant was issued today in municipal court for Nicholas E. Cobbin of Boardman, who police said ran over a man in the parking lot of Big D’s Irish Pub on Mahoning Avenue around 1:30 a.m. May 6.

Cobbin, 25, of Stratford Drive is charged with failure to stop after an accident, a felony. The victim, Michael D. Spellick, 29, of Cooper Street was seriously injured.

Once arrested and booked at the Mahoning County jail, Cobbin will be arraigned in municipal court.

Police who interviewed witnesses at the scene learned that an argument started in the bar and Spellick was thrown out. Three others who had been involved in the argument also went outside.

A bartender told police that David Keith, 46, of North Schenley Avenue was jumped by two men and, as he lay on the ground, was run over by a pickup truck. A bouncer at the bar told police that the pickup also ran over Spellick.

Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives, has said that after Keith was knocked to the ground others in the “angry mob” turned toward Cobbin, who was already in his pickup. Cobbin, concerned for himself and passengers, ran over the victims as he tried to leave the parking lot, Centorame said.

“It’s not like he intentionally tried to run them over,” the captain said.

A female bar patron described the driver of the pickup for police and provided a license plate number that led to Cobbin’s address in Boardman. Boardman officers found the pickup as it was turning into its driveway around 2 a.m. May 6 and detained Cobbin for questioning by Youngstown police.