The driver in Aberdeen who struck a pedestrian Saturday evening on the 300 block of East River Street and fled the scene has been charged with injury hit-and-run.

A passenger in the vehicle, who was camping along the Chehalis River near the site of the incident, said driver James Anderson, 25, of Aberdeen, was driving him to the river and that he appeared “very intoxicated,” police said.

The passenger stated once Anderson noticed the victim, “he accelerated the vehicle at a high rate of speed directly at the victim. The passenger stated that Anderson and the victim have a past history of problems. Anderson struck the victim with his vehicle, causing the victim to impact the windshield. The windshield was shattered,” police stated in a press release about the incident.

The passenger got out of the vehicle as Anderson slowed down and started to spin doughnuts in the gravel. The passenger then went to help the victim and Anderson drove off. An attempt-to-locate broadcast was put out for the suspect as the unidentified victim was transported to the hospital.

Anderson and his vehicle were found a short time later near the intersection of Farragut and East Schley streets. He was arrested without incident. Anderson was arraigned in Superior Court on Tuesday.