FAYETTEVILLE -- A 51-year-old Fayetteville woman told police she thought she was driving on an "access road" Sunday when she struck a pedestrian on the Scull Creek Trail.
According to a preliminary arrest report, Kayla Eiffert, 20, was jogging north on the trail behind the Appleby Apartments, 2992 N. Gregg Ave., a little after 5 p.m.
A red GMC Sierra pickup driven by Debra Bass of 2525 N. Azalea Terrace reportedly hit Eiffert from behind, ran over her foot and continued traveling north.
Officers found the pickup stuck in a chain-link fence along Futrall Drive, where the trail loops down to a tunnel under the Fulbright Expressway.
Cpl. Matthew Belk said in the arrest report Bass was wearing a pink robe, had bloodshot, watery eyes and smelled of alcohol. When asked how much she had to drink, Bass reportedly said, "More than I should have." She also showed Belk a plastic baggy with a half-burnt marijuana joint in it, according to the report.
She was arrested on suspicion of second-degree battery, second-degree criminal mischief, driving while intoxicated, possession of a controlled substance, leaving the scene of an injury accident and refusing to take a blood-alcohol level test.
Sgt. Craig Stout said Monday he wasn't sure how Bass got on the trail. Witnesses told police they thought she might have turned off Poplar Street.
Connie Edmonston, Parks and Recreation director, said she didn't see how that was possible. Red, metal bollards are set up in the middle of the trail to stop vehicles.
"The city has taken efforts to try to prevent vehicles from getting on there," Stout said. "But nothing is 100 percent effective."
Edmonston said the chain-link fence will have to be replaced. She added a tunnel under Appleby Road looked like it had been scraped by Bass' truck.
The truck was removed from the scene by NWA Towing & Recovery.
Eiffert was no longer listed as a patient at Washington Regional Medical Center on Monday afternoon. Police said she was transferred to the hospital Sunday with non-life-threatening injuries.
Bass was released Monday from the Washington County Detention Center on $5,000 bond.
Joel Walsh can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAJoel.
NW News on 01/20/2015