Middleburg man arrested in hit-and-run with Clay County sheriff’s sergeant

June 08--A 34-year-old Middleburg man was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges in a March 24 head-on hit-and-run crash with a Clay County Sheriff's Office sergeant at County Road 218 and Blanding Boulevard, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Alexander Gregory Pope of Stella Hall Road was charged with failing to stop at a crash resulting in serious bodily injury, driving while license suspended, no motor vehicle registration or proof of insurance and failure to yield to oncoming traffic, according to his arrest report.

Sgt. Matthew James Magish, 40, was driving south on Blanding about 8:20 p.m. when he tried to turn left onto the county road. As he did, a pickup truck drove into his police cruiser, the Highway Patrol said.

Authorities were looking for a dark-blue Ford F250 extended-cab pickup with front-end damage after witnesses said its driver got out after the crash, then drove off. Magish was treated and released from a hospital, according to the Sheriff's Office.

On April 30 a woman contacted the Sheriff's Office to report that the suspect had parked the pickup behind a friend's trailer, according to Pope's arrest report. She also said Pope told her he had received a loan to buy another vehicle in the meantime.

The Sheriff's Office found the pickup behind the trailer. Examination showed damage to its front bumper and fender as well as white paint and a reflective decal consistent with the sticker used to stripe a Sheriff's Office cruiser, the report said.

A detective spoke with Pope on May 1 and he said he had hit a culvert, according to the report. An arrest warrant was issued Monday, the Sheriff's Office said.

Dan Scanlan: (904) 359-4549

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