On August 27, 2015 at approximately 5:53pm, Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a hit and run traffic collision in the parking lot of a Waldport hotel. Deputies responded to the area and gathered several witness statements and surveillance video of the incident. With the help of the Newport Police Department, the vehicle was located unoccupied in South Beach. The driver, who was also the registered owner of the vehicle, was located at a nearby bar. An investigation revealed Steven Craig Steward, a 66 year-old Newport resident, struck a legally parked vehicle and left the scene without exchanging insurance information. Because of the speeds involved, the victim’s vehicle suffered heavy frontal damage. Steward was taken into custody and charged with Criminal Mischief in the First Degree and Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver when Property is Damaged. He was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail with a total bail of $65,000.
