Passing on the right may seem like a minor offense. But sometimes it leads to a whole lot more.

Scott Thompson, 23, of West Haven crashed his red Toyota on the corner of York and Elm streets shortly before 4 p.m. on Jan. 10, causing a four-car accident at the busy intersection, Yale police said. But rather than wait to exchange insurance information with the other drivers, Thompson took off.

He ran up York Street to Tower Parkway, then from Tower to Ashmun Street, where he stashed a backpack under a pickup truck, police said. Finally, he made his way back toward Tower and was nabbed en route by Yale police officers.

Unfortunately for Thompson, the officers also saw him stow the bag under the pickup truck. They searched the bag and found four sandwich bags containing a total of 60 smaller bags of a green, leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana, Yale Police Lt. Michael Patten said.

Thompson was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell, interfering with an officer, and driving without insurance or a license. He was also charged with passing on the right.

Pitcher throws one high and tight

Doug Shimokawa ’04 is best known as a pitcher on Yale’s baseball team. But Chris LoTempio ’05 might call Shimokawa a power hitter.

Around midnight Dec. 1, Shimokawa was throwing a party in Silliman College. Police said LoTempio and several friends went to the party and tried to steal some of the alcohol.

A scuffle ensued, and after LoTempio failed to land a punch on Shimokawa, the hard-throwing righthander hit LoTempio in the face, leaving him with a split lip, police said.

Police charged LoTempio with breach of peace and Shimokawa with third-degree assault, Patten said.

Shimokawa declined to comment on the incident, but he said both of the charges were dropped. LoTempio could not be reached for comment.

Is that a Yale shirt in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?

Some people think the Yale Bookstore is ripping them off. New Haven resident Carlos Hill apparently decided to turn the tables.

Hill, 29, of Kimberly Avenue was T-shirt shopping on Dec. 28 when he allegedly put two Yale shirts down his pants for safekeeping while he continued to browse. Store security was watching, however and nabbed Hill before he could flee the store, Yale police said.

Bookstore employees found the hidden Bulldog garb and asked Hill if he was toting any more stolen items, Patten said. Hill said he was not, and he replied similarly when asked the same question by a Yale police officer who arrived later.

The officer did not take Hill’s word for it and proceeded to pat him down, finding two more Yale shirts stuffed in his pant leg, Patten said.

Hill was charged with sixth-degree larceny.