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Monday, October 13, 2008

Suspect in fatal hit-and-run incident surrenders

Shaun Wallace Scott had been charged in the death of a Salem man in a parking lot.

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Shaun Wallace Scott, wanted on a hit-and-run murder charge, turned himself in to police Sunday after being treated for what police said were minor injuries at an area hospital, according to Salem police.

A manhunt for Scott ensued after an incident early Saturday morning at Awful Arthur's on West Main Street in Salem in which Zane Blankenship, 23, of Salem, was struck and killed by a vehicle.

Police immediately began searching for a green Jeep in relation to the incident and found it on Wildwood Road in Salem about 3 a.m. Saturday. Police then began searching for Scott, 26, of Roanoke.

According to a police news release, Scott contacted detectives through his attorney, Deborah Caldwell-Bono, on Sunday and made arrangements to be taken into custody at an unidentified area hospital.

Scott was examined and released into police custody just before 4 p.m. He was processed and is being held in the Roanoke County-Salem jail without bond, according to the release.

An arraignment for Scott has been set for Tuesday.

He is charged with a count of first degree murder, two counts of attempted malicious wounding, four counts of felony hit-and-run and one count of felony property damage.

Police say the vehicle that struck Blankenship also hit the vehicle of a police officer that had just turned into the Awful Arthur's parking lot, and that it also grazed a pedestrian. No one else was seriously injured.

An altercation occurred inside the restaurant about 2 a.m., police said, and it prompted the restaurant to start moving patrons outside. A separate argument apparently started between Blankenship and Scott outside Awful Arthur's , police said. The restaurant then called police.

Metro editor Todd Jackson contributed to this report.

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