FORT DRUM - The Army said Wednesday it will take over the prosecution of a Fort Drum soldier accused of driving drunk and running down eight pedestrians outside a Watertown nightclub. “Because the victims and the accused are soldiers, the chain of command felt it would be appropriate to handle this case in the military judicial system,” said Maj. Robert Barnsby, chief of military justice for the 10th Mountain Division. Federal charges have been lodged against Pvt. Kristopher Hendricks, who is currently being held in the Jefferson County jail pending court-martial.

The 23-year-old Hendricks faces more than a dozen criminal charges including drunk driving and vehicular assault in connection with the March 15 incident.

According to Watertown police, Hendricks was driving through the Watertown City Hall parking lot around 2 a.m. when he struck a parked car. Hendricks then fled the scene, speeding down a city road in the wrong direction.

At the same time, about 100 people were leaving the nearby Strand Music Theater bar, walking on the sidewalk and in the street when Hendricks plowed into them before crashing into a chain link fence. Police said Hendricks had a blood alcohol content of .10 percent when he was arrested.