BELFAST — Belfast Police Chief Mike McFadden Monday morning issued a mea culpa, saying that further investigation into the hit-and-run car-bike accident Friday turned up evidence that it was Steven Lucas driving the car, not his daughter, Derri.

Derri Lucas was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident on Main Street March 8, a crash that sent Belfast City Councilor Eric Sanders to the hospital with multiple injuries. Sanders was just finishing up a 20-mile bike ride when he was struck from behind by a car. He was knocked unconscious, sustained a sprained ankle, multiple bumps and bruises, and it took 50 stitches to repair his torn ear.

The accident occurred around 2 p.m. that afternoon, but police didn't get a break in the case of the missing car and driver until they were called to a Patterson Hill Road residence for a reported domestic situation.

When Belfast Police officers Brian Lunt and Dan Fitzpatrick arrived at the residence, they saw a damaged car in the driveway that fit the description of the one that hit Sanders. They also encountered 36-year-old Derris Lucas, and her 59-year-old father, Steven Lucas, both of Knox.

McFadden said that Steven Lucas told police he was a passenger in the vehicle at the time it was involved in an earlier accident, and that he remembered seeing a bike fall down on the passenger side as they passed it.

"Further investigation led us to determine that the father was lying," said McFadden Monday. "He was the one driving, not his daughter."

McFadden said over the weekend, officers spoke with Derri Lucas at Waldo County Jail, where he said she was "very motivated" to provide information.

"She gave us a long list of places they had been that day, including that they went to McDonalds as Derri wanted her dad to get her a milkshake. Her dad went inside to get it, and staff there told us they remembered him and were concerned about his sobriety. The manager asked staff to follow him outside and ensure he wasn't driving, but said he got into the driver's seat and drove off," said McFadden.

Video shows the Lucases leaving the parking lot onto Main Street, headed in the direction of Alto Street, and two minutes later, McFadden said, Sanders was hit by a car.

"As soon as we found out Derri was not responsible for the charges associated with leaving the scene, the associated charge was rescinded," said McFadden.

Friday, Derri Lucas was also charged with operating after suspension, refusing to submit to arrest, violating conditions of release and possession of marijuana. McFadden said those charges stand, and the Lucas remains in jail with no bail allowed for the VCR charge.

Steve Lucas has not yet been apprehended by police.

"We know his location, and we will make contact with him when we are able," said McFadden. "He was able to make his way to Brunswick after his daughter was arrested, and he thought he had thrown us off his trail, thinking we wouldn't find him, but we did."

When he is arrested, McFadden said Steven Lucas is facing a charge of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, as well as charges for any other driving infractions.

"Obviously, he caused the police to arrest someone based on his information, and assuming at that time he knew he wasn't telling the truth, there may be other charges," said McFadden.

"I'm not very happy it happened the way it did, but I have to set the record straight," said McFadden. "What he said that night wasn't hard to believe, but the officers did an appropriate follow-up investigation and we were able to find in fact that Derri was not driving."

McFadden said there is no law against being a passenger and not telling police when someone else does something bad.

"She was a passenger, she was aware that someone was hit. She had several hours to come forward and chose not to," said McFadden. "There is no statute that makes it unlawful for a passenger not to report something of that nature."

saying that the charge for leaving the scene on a hit-and-run accident Friday afternoon against Derri Lucas has been withdrawn.

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• Knox woman arrested for hit-and-run accident with Belfast city councilor