Culpeper woman charged with hit-and-run of town garbage truck

A 25-year-old Culpeper woman who allegedly struck a Town of Culpeper garbage truck and then drove away from the accident has been charged with misdemeanor hit-and-run.

Police also charged Marycielo Morales, of the 800 block of Sperryville Pike, with driving without an operator’s license.

The accident happened about 6:20 a.m. in the 300 block of North Main Street. The three-man town crew was picking up trash. A 1997 Toyota 4 Runner, also headed northbound, attempted to pass the stopped 2004 Freightliner garbage truck, but the right front of the SUV struck the left rear of the garbage truck, damaging one of the two emergency stop systems on the truck.

The driver with her two passengers drove down West Edmondson, abandoning the SUV in the Culpeper Star-Exponent’s rear parking lot.

Officer David Payne checked the registration of the unoccupied SUV, located the owner and determined who was driving.

The SUV sustained about $2,000 in damage and the trash truck had minor damage.

None of the town’s trash workers or two passengers in the SUV was injured.