Lynchburg man sentenced to more than two years for misdemeanor drunk driving and hit-and-run

A 33-year-old man was sentenced in Lynchburg Circuit Court for a hit-and-run on Fort Avenue in February 2023. (Getty Images)

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) – A 33-year-old man was sentenced in Lynchburg Circuit Court for a hit-and-run on Fort Avenue in February 2023.

According to the City of Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney, the offenses occurred on February 19, 2023, when Lynchburg police officers were called to the 3700 block of Fort Avenue for an accident.

A witness at the scene gave police a description of Alante Lee Callands who was seen fleeing the scene before hitting another vehicle.

Just before the crash, the crash victim saw Callans driving erratically before hitting his vehicle. She is believed to still be affected after suffering a knee injury in the accident.

Police were able to locate Callands walking on Pennsylvania Avenue, where officers say he smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. He later admitted that he had been drinking and was in a car accident, leading police to test his blood alcohol level. The test resulted in a reading of 0.208%.

A year later, in February 2024, Callans pleaded guilty to felony charges of intoxicated mayhem and hit-and-run, as well as a misdemeanor charge of driving without a license.

On Wednesday, June 12, he appeared in Lynchburg Circuit Court where he was sentenced to two years and seven months. He must also submit to two years of supervised probation after his release and maintain “good behavior” for five years.