HOPEWELL, Va. (WTVR) -- Outside a Rite Aid on Oaklawn Boulevard in Hopewell in early December, police pulled over driver Glenn Wayne Frith, arrested him, and charged him with DWI. He's now also under investigation for hit-and-run in the same incident.
In a YouTube video addressing Caroline County's McShinn Foundation in 2012, Wayne Frith, then Executive Director of Chesterfield's SAFE program, makes an admission.
"I'm an alcoholic and addict, but I survived, praise god," he said.
SAFE stands for “substance abuse-free environment,” and Frith has been interviewed by CBS-6 multiple times on the topic since he took the executive director role in 2005.
CBS 6 has learned Frith recently resigned his position.
When I went to his door Monday night, he asked that I give him a break.
The accident happened at the corner of Glendale Drive and Courthouse Road, according to police.
"I heard a loud crash and was like, ‘what was that?’" said Ellen Chapman who lives close by.
The driver of a car, hit another car at that spot then took off, police said. Frith was later arrested off Oaklawn Boulevard for DWI.
"We've had numerous accidents on this road,” said Chapman. And when she learned who police said was behind the wheel of that car, she said it she was even more concerned.
"I'm sure it's disappointing for all parents and people who use this service,” said Chapman. “It's unacceptable. As a parent of a teen, there's a lot to deal with this day and time, and you need organizations like SAFE."
The Chairman of SAFE’s Board of Director’s Dr. Glen Miller, released a statement to CBS 6 that said in part, “The SAFE Board of Directors accepted Mr. Frith's resignation in early December and has appointed Regina Whitsettas Interim Executive Director. "This unfortunate situation underscores the need for ongoing community efforts in reducing incidents of this nature."
The hit-and-run investigation is ongoing, according to Hopewell Police.
Frith is due in court on the DWI charge, February 25.
