The driver of a car that reportedly struck a parked car Monday afternoon and then backed into a nearby house, causing an estimated $15,000 in damages, before fleeing the scene was later located and charged.
Donnie Bruce Brown Jr., 29, of 1510 Spring St., was located at his residence shortly before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and cited for leaving the scene of a property damage accident, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.
Brown is set to appear in Garland County District Court on Aug. 4.
According to the Hot Springs police motor vehicle crash report released Thursday, around 3:45 p.m. Monday, Brown, driving a maroon 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe, was westbound in the 100 block of Vivian Street when the left side of his vehicle struck the right side of a blue 2006 Kia Spectra parked in front of 109 Vivian, causing an estimated $3,000 in damages.
Then Brown allegedly backed into the yard at 111 Vivian St., striking the southwest corner of the residence there, causing an estimated $15,000 in damages. Then Brown reportedly fled the scene in an unknown direction.
The homeowner, Elizabeth Brown, no relation to Donnie Brown, was inside the residence at the time of the collision and told The Sentinel-Record she had to jump out of the way of the car to avoid being hit. No one was injured in the incident.
She told police it was a maroon SUV driven by an unidentified man that hit her house. While looking through the debris, Officer Corbin Rideout located the license plate of the vehicle that struck the house and a computer check showed it returned to a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe registered to Donnie Brown.
The next morning, Rideout made contact with Donnie Brown at his residence and Brown confirmed he owned the Tahoe and stated it was parked at his mother's house on Pearl Street. Rideout located the vehicle on Pearl and noted it had damages consistent with the damages at the scene of the accident, so Brown was cited.