THREE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED TUESDAY IN PORT CHARLOTTE AFTER A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT TURNED INTO A CHASE. DEPUTIES RECEIVED A CALL JUST AFTER 1:30PM TUESDAY FOR A HIT AND RUN IN THE PARKING LOT OF A PHARMACY ON OLEAN BOULEVARD AFTER A WHITE JEEP CHEROKEE HIT A PICKUP. THE JEEP BUMPER FELL OFF AND TWO PASSANGERS JUMPED OUT AND FLED. THE DRIVER OF THE JEEP THEN FLED AFTER DRIVING INTO A NEARBY CAR DEALERSHIP. WITNESSES HELPED DEPUTIES LOCATE 24 YEAR OLD NICHOLAS WALCHLE OF ENGLEWOOD AFTER HE RAN INTO THE CHARLOTTE TOWERS, AND THEY HELPED A HELICOPTER FIND 29 YEAR OLD JUSTIN RICHARDSON OF ROTONDA WEST AND 21 YEAR OLD TIMOTHY BRUCKER OF ENGLEWOOD AS THEY HID IN THE PROMENADES WEST CLUBHOUSE. WITNESSES POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED ALL THREE AND THEY WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON A VARIETY OF CHARGES. AS WALCHLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY JAIL, A DEPUTY SAW HIM DROP A CELLOPHANE WRAPPER WHICH HAD ROXICODONE IN IT. WALCHLE AND BRUCKER WERE RELEASED AFTER POSTING BOND WHILE RICHARDSON REMAINED ON NO BOND IN THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY JAIL.
