Police arrested a Barnegat man Saturday after they said he caused an accident while drunk and then left the scene of the crash.

Robert Cheek, 49, was arrested on a DWI charge near his home on Hearth Court after an officer traced his plates to his residence, said Lt. Keith Germain of the Barnegat Township Police Department.

Police were called to the parking lot of the former A&P plaza on Route 9 shortly after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, where a 19-year-old Barnegat resident told them a tan Mercury Grand Marquis had hit her car and fled the scene, Germain said.

The young driver gave police the license plate of the vehicle, and Ptl. George Martin intercepted Cheek on Hearth Court as Cheek arrived home, Germain said. After realizing Cheek was drunk, Martin arrested him, charing him with DWI, reckless driving, failure to produce registration, leaving the scen of an accident and failure to report an accident.

Cheek was processed and later released.