Charges: Tinucci’s driver hit cyclist, continued driving to work

Man badly hurt in Newport hit & run

A 70-year-old driver is facing a felony charge after prosecutors say he hit a cyclist with his vehicle and then drove back to work after examining the unconscious person.

Mark Thomas Tinucci Sr. is facing a criminal vehicular operation charge for what police said was a hit-and-run crash with a bicyclist on Saturday.

Court documents state that around 3:44 p.m., deputies received calls about a cyclist who was hit by a vehicle at Maxwell Avenue and the I-494 overpass in Newport. There, they found a man unconscious in the roadway near a bike.

The man was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a number of injuries, including eight broken ribs and a brain bleed. At this time, court documents state he is not showing signs of cognitive function.

According to court documents, the cyclist was waved through a crosswalk by a vehicle in the right lane, which came to a halt. However, another vehicle in the left lane, a white vehicle with a “Tinucci’s” sticker, did not stop and struck the cyclist at a high rate of speed.

The driver of the van reportedly got out of the vehicle, looked at the cyclist, stated “I didn’t see him,” then returned to his vehicle and drove off.

Deputies went to Tinucci’s restaurant and located the damaged vehicle, and were told by the restaurant staff that Mark Tinucci had been driving it that day.

Tinucci reportedly told authorities that after he hit the cyclist, he got out of the car to check on the man, saw how injured he was, panicked, and then left to attend a catering job.

Authorities said that in the 30 to 40 minutes between the crash and speaking with investigators, Tinucci had not tried to call first responders in any way.

At this time, Tinucci has not been placed into custody and is being asked to appear in Washington County court through a summons order. His first court date is scheduled for Oct. 1.

In a statement to KSTP, a spokesperson for Tinucci’s confirmed that the restaurant is cooperating with the investigation and that Mark Tinucci is a former owner. He now works as a consultant to the business.

“We are aware of the allegations involving Mark Tinucci Sr. that were made public today. We cannot comment on specifics at this time, as this is an ongoing legal matter. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate what happened.

We recognize the seriousness of this situation and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, especially the individual who was injured and their family.”   

Spokesperson for Tinucci’s
The post Charges: Tinucci’s driver hit cyclist, continued driving to work first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.