Parson Pleads Not Guilty To Charges Related To Accident

By Tracy Neal

Posted: November 10, 2009 at 4:28 a.m.

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BENTONVILLE — A Rogers man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges accusing him of causing an accident that injured three people.

Leroy Emery Parson Jr., 29, is charged with three counts of battery in the second degree and leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident, all class D felonies. If convicted, he could be sentenced up to six years in prison on each count. He entered his plea during an arraignment before Circuit Judge David Clinger.

Parson also faces misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated second offense, refusal to submit to an intoxication test and reckless driving.

Parson was arrested Sept. 12 in connection with a one-vehicle crash on Arkansas 72, west of Pea Ridge. The Arkansas State Police received a 911 call at 6:29 p.m. concerning a driver who was speeding, swerving and had run off the road then back on the road before running off the road again and crashing into a tree, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Several motorists stopped to assist and observed Parson get out of the vehicle and run away, according to court documents. Three other people were still in the vehicle.

Parson was later apprehended and taken into custody. According to court documents, Arkansas State Police Trooper Jason Davis described Parson as smelling of intoxicants and Parson had extremely red and watery eyes. Parson was later taken to Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville.

The three passengers were also transported to the hospital. One passenger — a 14-year-old boy — suffered several fractures and internal injuries. A female passenger suffered several fractures and internal injuries and was later transported to St. John’s Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla. The third passenger, a man, was also treated at the hospital for injuries, according to court documents.

The teenager and the man told Davis that Parson was arguing with the woman, his girlfriend, and told her he would kill them all by running off the road and hitting a tree, the affidavit states.

A omnibus hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 7. Parson is being held in the Benton County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

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