BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2013—A Watertown man was arraigned today on charges he struck two cyclists in Allston and fled the scene, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSEPH BESNILIAN (D.O.B. 2/26/90) was arraigned in Brighton District Court on charges of operating under the influence and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury.  Assistant District Attorney Sheila Lawn requested that bail be set in the amount of $5,000.  Judge David Donnelly declined to impose monetary bail and released Besnilian on his own recognizance with orders that he wear a GPS monitor, refrain from driving, remain drug and alcohol-free, and abide by a curfew.

According to prosecutors, Boston Police officers responded to Lincoln and Franklin streets at approximately 12:40 this morning to find emergency medical personnel treating two bicyclists who had been struck by a vehicle that then left the scene.  A 25-year-old Watertown woman suffered injuries to both legs, while a 26-year-old Tyngsboro man received head and facial injuries. Both were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment.

At approximately the same time officers arrived at the crash scene, another officer handling crowd control on North Beacon Street stopped a white 2013 Volkswagen Jetta that was making a loud scraping sound and had heavily damaged front passenger side fender, prosecutors said.

The officer approached the vehicle and spoke with Besnilian, who was behind the wheel. The officer allegedly observed Besnilian to slur his speech in response to questioning, replying, “You tell me” when asked what happened and, “What, I hit something? No I didn’t.”

Police noted that the vehicle had blood sprayed on the passenger side and a broken passenger’s side mirror, according to prosecutors.

Besnilian, who was wearing a pink wristband of the type provided at bars and nightclubs, had glassy eyes and extremely large pupils, carried the odor of alcohol, and showed difficulty answering officers’ questions, prosecutors said.  He and his passenger, a 24-year-old Watertown man, were both transported to Boston Police Headquarters for questioning. Besnilian’s vehicle was towed and seized as evidence.

Besnilian refused a blood-alcohol test, prosecutors said, but his passenger informed police that the two had been drinking and “smoking weed” at Bresnilian’s apartment before going to a club in Cambridge and then taking a drive to check out the area in the wake of last night’s Red Sox win, prosecutors said.

Besnilian was represented by Thomas Chirokas.  He will return to court on Dec. 12.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.