An Alton police officer was arrested early Monday morning on
suspicion that he was involved in two hit-and-run accidents just outside
of the city, Madison County Sheriff's Department officials said Monday.
Officer Christopher Mattila, 39, of the 3500 block of
Hoover Drive in Alton, was charged with one count each of driving under
the influence and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and two
counts of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was
released late Monday morning from the Madison County Jail after posting
$300 bail.
Madison County Sheriff's Department Capt. Mike Dixon said
calls began coming in around 8:30 p.m. Sunday about an accident
involving a Hummer and a dark colored sport utility vehicle at Godfrey
Road and Tolle Lane where the driver of the dark SUV had fled the scene.
While at that scene, calls started coming in about another hit-and-run
accident at North Humbert Road and Richland Woods Drive where the driver
of a dark colored SUV had fled the scene after hitting a Pontiac Grand
Am. No one was hurt in either accident, Dixon said.
Authorities later found a green Ford Explorer with
extensive front-end damage abandoned on Seminary Road, about a mile from
the second accident. The SUV was registered to Mattila.
Mattila was taken into custody at his home just before 1
a.m. Monday morning. Deputies had been at the home since 10 p.m., Dixon
said, but Mattila didn't respond to knocks at the door.
