A driver accused of killing a young woman in Melville and then fleeing the scene appeared in court Monday, due to the efforts of a firefighter and police officers who didn?t let him get away.

Douglas Davis, 44, was allegedly drunk when he hit 25-year-old Melissa Scherr with his car Sunday morning on Route 110. Police say Davis took off after he crashed just as Huntington Manor firefighter Chris Manganello left his home to go to the crash scene.

?I saw a vehicle coming toward me with one headlight and as he got closer I could see front-end damage,? Manganello told News 12 Long Island. ??As he rolled past me, looking into the truck I could see the airbags hanging out.?

Manganello says he followed Davis into Greenlawn, where the alleged drunken driver pulled into someone?s driveway to hide himself. Police eventually caught up with Davis in the backyard of a home on Hofstra Drive in Greenlawn. According to court papers, he was hiding behind a tree.

David was charged with DWI and leaving the scene of an accident. He is due back in court Thursday, Jan. 29. The district attorney?s office says it may upgrade the charges to include vehicular manslaughter.

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