An Arkansas man is accused of running over an 11-year-old boy in a hit-and-run Tuesday, according to police.
The crash occurred as David Haaser Sr., 61, of Hackett was driving a white cargo van at South 24th and Tulsa streets in Fort Smith, according to a report from the Fort Smith Police Department.
Haaser told authorities that he knew he'd hit something, but that initially he believed it was a dog so he kept driving, the report said. The driver said he went to a nearby parking lot after the incident and called his wife.
Minutes after the crash, a firetruck and ambulance arrived on the scene with lights and sirens that could be "easily seen" from where Haaser was parked, according to authorities.
When asked why he didn't immediately return to the scene, Haaser reportedly said he "felt bad and finally came back to make things right."
The boy was taken to Mercy Hospital Fort Smith and later Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock for a punctured and bruised lung, police said.
Witnesses told a responding officer that they saw Haaser hit the child and leave the scene for about 20 minutes before police arrived.
Haaser was booked about 8:50 p.m. Tuesday into the Sebastian County jail on a charge of leaving the scene of an injury accident. Records show he was released from the jail around 5 a.m. Wednesday on $5,000 bond.
The driver also was cited for no proof of insurance and failure to yield, records show.
State Desk on 03/10/2017