Austintown man can’t avoid traffic citation

YOUNGSTOWN — The Austintown man police said was driving a white panel van that sped through a red light on the West Side climbed over his passenger to avoid a citation when stopped — and gave officers several versions of who was driving, reports show.

Charles Alexander, 30, of Sandalwood Lane was charged with driving under suspension, failure to obey a traffic device and fleeing police. The van was pursued by police around 10:40 p.m. Sunday after a report that one of two men who had been thrown out of a bar took off his shirt, kicked the door and then left in a white Ford panel van.

Once stopped on Vestal Road, Alexander, who was shirtless, told police that the driver, whom he named, just took off running. Police said they didn’t see anyone run from the vehicle.

Alexander then gave police another name for the driver he said took off running. He then said his passenger was driving. He changed his story again, saying his girlfriend had been the driver but he didn’t know where she went. The passenger said Alexander climbed over him and got out the passenger side door, reports show.