A Hot Springs man was arrested on a felony warrant Tuesday stemming from allegations he hit a pedestrian with his vehicle last year and left the scene before authorities arrived.
James Chalen Grisham, 41, who lists an Elaine Street address, was taken into custody shortly after 1:30 p.m. and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, punishable by up to six years in prison. He was also cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian, driving on a suspended driver's license and no proof of liability insurance.
Grisham was later released on $2,500 bond and is set to appear April 3 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Dec. 23, 2017, a man reported being struck by a vehicle shortly after midnight in the south parking lot of Oaklawn Racing and Gaming, 2705 Central Ave.
The victim states he was walking north through the lot toward the building in a crosswalk when a vehicle struck him. He said the driver of the vehicle parked his vehicle and then assisted him in getting into the building, but then left.
The victim was complaining of severe pain to his ribs and left knee. Hot Springs Police detective Jeff Stracener obtained video of the incident that showed the victim was thrown through the air several feet after being struck by a black pickup truck.
The truck parked and a white male came to where the victim was lying on the ground and helped him up and into the building. The male was then seen leaving the building. The video showed the man clearly, the affidavit states, and he was identified as Grisham through scanned records at Oaklawn and his driver's license photo.
A warrant for his arrest was later issued. Grisham was previously arrested for driving on a suspended driver's license on June 5, 2017, but failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment on June 30, 2017. A bench warrant was issued for failure to appear which was served on Grisham Tuesday.
Local on 03/22/2018