Charges upgraded in hit and run

NEW CASTLE, Del. - December 30, 2008 - 28-year-old Joseph Taye was arrested for driving a BMW that hit and killed 30-year-old Michelle Smith on December 20th.

Smith was attending to a motorcycle driver who was injured in a crash.

Police say, after the crash, Taye got out of his car and into a Honda driven by another person who drove Taye from the scene. That driver is still at large.

Anyone with information is asked to call (302) 834-2620 ext. 287. Tips can also be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or on line at www.tipsubmit.com.

The motorcycle driver remains hospitalized in stable but serious condition.

Police say Taye lost the use of his legs in a 2005 shooting in Elkton, Md., and police are looking into the possibility he was using a stick to operate the gas and brake pedals in his car.

Taye's BMW was not equipped with devices that allow a person whose legs are paralyzed to drive. Police found the stick in his car after the crash. A similar stick was found in Taye's car after he was involved in a hit-and-run accident last year in Elkton that injured two women.

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