A 38-year-old man from Port Orchard is confronting a series of criminal charges after deputies say he operated his sport utility vehicle off the road, damaged multiple neighborhood features, and departed the scene before authorities arrived.

Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded around 2:30 a.m. on May 19 to the 3700 block of Jackson Avenue SE, located in the unincorporated area of Port Orchard. Deputies found the vehicle—occupied only by the driver at the time of impact—lodged in a roadside ditch, its front end compromised and both airbags fully inflated.

Investigators determined the SUV had veered across the center dividing line, knocked loose a manhole cover, and collided with a street marker and a backyard fence shared by two adjacent residences. The sequence of events suggested the vehicle had traveled a considerable distance after the initial loss of control before finally halting.

About 50 minutes after the first call came in, deputies tracked the driver to a local urgent care center. There, he was undergoing evaluation for injuries sustained during the incident. Officers noted physical indicators consistent with intoxication, including bloodshot eyes and an unsteady gait. The man acknowledged to deputies he had spent time at a nearby bowling alley prior to driving, consuming alcohol during his visit.

When asked to submit to an on-site breath test, the driver declined. Deputies then secured a warrant authorizing a blood sample, which was collected shortly thereafter.

A follow-up review of the driver’s history uncovered that his license had been under suspension at the time of the crash. Court and administrative records also showed a previous encounter from early 2024 involving a DUI citation and a separate hit-and-run incident.

Though the Sheriff’s Office did not disclose the individual’s identity in its initial public update, jail intake documents confirm that Lemanue Perez Morales entered custody on May 19. He is currently detained and facing the following accusations:

  • Driving Under the Influence (classified as a gross misdemeanor)
  • Hit-and-Run involving an unoccupied vehicle (misdemeanor)
  • Operating a motor vehicle while license is suspended or revoked (second-degree, also a gross misdemeanor)

Bond has been set at $10,000 specifically for the license-suspension count. Court officials list his next hearing for later today.