Man arrested for allegedly endangering his children after fleeing a wreck Friday
A local man was arrested on felony charges Friday for allegedly endangering his children after he reportedly fled the scene of a wreck carrying his 3-year-old daughter and fell on top of her.
George Alan Smith, 43, who lists a Carson Street address, was taken into custody around 5:30 p.m. and charged with two counts of first-de- gree endangering the welfare of a minor, punishable by up to six years in prison.
He remained in custody Monday in lieu of $5,000 bond and appeared that afternoon in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday, Hot Springs police Sgt. LeeAnn Zaner responded to a two-vehicle wreck at Malvern Avenue and Huntleigh Drive and upon arrival saw a red Ford Ranger in the inside lane with heavy rear-end damage and a green Dodge Caravan with heavy frontend damage blocking the outside lane.
One witness said the Caravan driver had fled the scene and another male, later identified as Smith, had attempted to flee the scene while holding a small female child, later identified as his 3-year-old daughter. In the process of fleeing, he reportedly fell and landed on top of his daughter on Malvern.
A second witness stated she came upon the wreck and only observed one male, identified as Smith, running across the roadway with a toddler in his arms. She said she saw him fall and land on top of the girl, causing “a large bump” to her forehead.
The driver of the Ranger stated he didn’t see anyone else in the vehicle other than Smith and his child. He said he saw a green mini-van speeding toward him while he was stopped for traffic and he “pumped his brakes” multiple times to no avail. The van impacted the rear of his truck at full speed, he said, and when he looked up he saw Smith running away from the scene with a small child.
Smith reportedly denied being the driver of the vehicle, even though the vehicle was found to belong to him. He said “a guy picked him up at the gas station down the road” because it was raining. He said he didn’t know the guy’s name, except “Ronald.” He said
his daughter was in the back of the van and flew up and hit the back of his seat when the wreck happened.
Zaner noted there was no car seat or certified child booster seat in the vehicle. Smith also denied running with his child and claimed the unknown male driver had started running with his child and he chased him down and got her back.
Smith and his daughter were transported by LifeNet to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs where the daughter was treated for bruising and a hematoma on her forehead.
A couple who identified themselves as the girl’s grandparents came to the emergency room and asked about their 2-year-old grandson. They stated their daughter, the mother of the children, worked at a local restaurant and when the children were not at daycare the only caretaker for them was Smith. Smith stated his son was with a babysitter on Carson Street.
A short time later, the mother of the children arrived who stated she had just got off work at 3 p.m. She said when she walked into her residence she found her son alone in the living room with no one else in the residence. She said she spoke to Smith earlier in the day and he was at the house with both children.
She told police the car seats for the children were in her truck. She also noted they had just purchased the Caravan last week and did not have it licensed or insured.
Smith was taken into custody at the hospital and taken to the police department where he was questioned again and reportedly stated he began drinking around 6 a.m. and consumed a pint and a half of vodka. He said some friends of his came over and that one friend, Ronald, drove him to the restaurant so he could see if the children’s mother was “really working.”
He said on the way back Ronald rear-ended another vehicle and then ran from the scene with Smith’s daughter. He said he chased after him and got his daughter back. He claimed the bump on her head was from the wreck and that Ronald’s girlfriend was babysitting his son when he and Ronald left the house.