Alma man denies guilt in fatal crash

An Alma man has pleaded innocent in Crawford County Circuit Court to charges of negligent homicide and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from a March 2012 fatal traffic accident.

Public defender Ryan Norris entered an innocent plea to the felony offenses for Santo Rizzo IV, 26, on Tuesday and waived his arraignment, which was scheduled for Wednesday before Circuit Judge Gary Cottrell. He was being held in the Crawford County jail Wednesday in lieu of $12,500 bond.

Rizzo was charged last week in a warrant that accused him of negligently causing the death of Zachary Morton, 25, of Mountainburg in an accident that occurred about noon on March 10, 2012, on U.S. 71 north of Alma.

Prosecuting Attorney Marc McCune said Wednesday he waited to file charges in the case until he received the results of toxicology tests from the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory.

An arrest affidavit filed in circuit court stated that toxicology tests showed Rizzo had benzodiazpines, cannabinoids and oxycodone in his system at the time of the accident. Paraphernalia found at the scene tested positive for oxycodone.

According to an Arkansas State Police accident summary, Rizzo was driving a 1994 Toyota pickup south on the highway when he lost control and veered into the northbound lane. He over-corrected, which caused the pickup to overturn, ejecting Morton. The affidavit stated Morton died from head injuries.

The arrest affidavit stated that witnesses saw Rizzo get out of the pickup after the crash, go to where Morton was lying, retrieve an item and hide it. Police found the hidden item at the scene, a Crown Royal bag containing syringes and a burn-tarnished spoon with residue, according to the affidavit.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 12 on 05/30/2013

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