A Mississippi man allegedly driving while intoxicated was arrested on multiple charges, including felony battery, after reportedly crashing into a pedestrian and multiple cars Tuesday night.
Robert Glenn Taylor, 40, who lists an Olive Branch, Miss., address, was taken into custody shortly before 9 p.m. and charged with a felony count of second-degree battery, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of DWI, first offense, possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and possession of an open container in a vehicle.
Taylor, who was also cited for careless and prohibited driving, failure to stop or yield and no liability insurance, was released Wednesday morning on a $7,000 bond and is set to appear Nov. 19 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Hot Springs police Officer 1st Class Taylor Gates responded to the 100 block of Ramble Street regarding a wreck that had just occurred and made contact with the driver of the at-fault vehicle, identified as Taylor, and noted he had watery, bloodshot eyes and an odor of intoxicants coming from him.
Taylor reportedly told him he had been driving his vehicle, a black 2015 GMC Sierra pickup, and struck multiple vehicles. He said he did not remember how the wreck occurred and allegedly admitted he drank two beers about six hours earlier.
Gates noted Taylor's speech was slurred. He consented to three field sobriety tests and reportedly failed all three.
A witness at the scene said he saw the black GMC pickup travel east on Ramble and sideswipe a vehicle, causing damage. He said the pickup continued east without stopping and left the scene. Then the vehicle traveled south on Ramble Terrace, ran a stop sign at Ramble Terrace and Ramble Street, and struck multiple vehicles on the south side of Ramble.
During the second accident, the witness noted the pickup struck a woman, who sustained multiple injuries as a result, including a fractured left elbow, fractured right knee, a large laceration to her head and possible internal bleeding.
Police Cpl. Joey Williams said Wednesday the woman was a pedestrian who was on the phone with 911 when she was struck.
Another witness said that after the collision, Taylor exited the pickup and threw an unopened beer and a half-pint of Smirnoff vodka under one of the vehicles.
During an inventory of Taylor's vehicle, officers reportedly found a half pint of New Amsterdam vodka that was half full, an empty bottle of Root Beer Vodka, an 18 pack of beer that was half-empty and two sandwich bags, a rolled paper and a plastic container all containing suspected marijuana, a total of 53.7 grams, or almost 2 ounces. There was also a glass pipe with residue that smelled of burned marijuana.
Once at the Garland County Detention Center, Taylor reportedly submitted to a Breathalyzer test which registered his blood-alcohol content at 0.207%, over two times the legal limit.
Local on 11/07/2019