Prairie Grove Police: Child on her way to school hit by fleeing driver who was in possession of drugs

PRAIRIE GROVE – A woman was arrested after she struck a child riding a bicycle with her car and then left the scene of the accident Wednesday morning, according to Prairie Grove police.

Police were called to a car and bicycle crash at the intersection of Cole Drive and Viney Grove Road near the high school at 7:38 a.m. Wednesday, police said in a post on Facebook and Captain Jeff O'Brien confirmed. Police, firefighters, school staff and members of the school administration responded.

The cyclist was identified as a 9-year-old student at Prairie Grove Middle School. She was examined by emergency medical services and released with minor injuries.

According to police, it was determined that the driver of the vehicle left the scene of the accident without stopping. Officers were then able to locate the vehicle as it drove through town and eventually stopped at the Flash Market supermarket.

After questioning and investigation, the driver, Amber Dexter, 36, of 14440 Tyree Mountain Road in Prairie Grove, was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident. Dexter was transported to the Washington County Detention Center, where jailers determined Dexter was in possession of a controlled substance.

Dexter was being held in the detention center on Wednesday without bail set.

According to police, surveillance video of the incident showed that Dexter appeared to know what happened when she left the scene. Police said Dexter initially denied knowing she had hit the child, but later admitted she knew about the incident.

According to police, Dexter was driving north on Viney Grove and turned onto Cole Drive to drop off her children at the high school. The middle school student was on her way to school.

Wednesday's incident was at least the second at the same location.

O'Brien said Wednesday's incident occurred in the same location and situation as an incident in March, with the difference being that in that case the driver fled the scene of the accident.

In response to the two incidents, Prairie Grove schools sent a message to parents and students on Wednesday saying that, effective immediately, all students who ride bikes or scooters to school must dismount and cross the crosswalks on school property. There are also plans to put up new signs at all crosswalks on campus to remind students of the new rule.

Superintendent Lance Campbell said there have been no accidents involving students crossing crosswalks.

“There are multiple cars driving in and out, and it's difficult for the kids to make decisions,” Campbell said. “We want to slow things down a bit.”

In the previous incident, a 12-year-old student at Prairie Grove Middle School was taken to the hospital by ambulance as a precautionary measure after she hit a moving car while riding her bike to school on the morning of March 13.

O'Brien said at the time that the student suffered cuts and bruises as a result of the accident, but no serious injuries.

O'Brien said a 16-year-old high school student was driving north on Viney Grove Road and turned right into the school parking lot on Cole Drive at about 7:35 a.m. The middle school student was riding her bike south on the sidewalk toward the middle school when she entered the crosswalk to the driveway, which is further back from Viney Grove Road. At the same time, a pickup truck was in the driveway, preparing to exit on Cole Drive.

“It's a bit of a blind spot,” O'Brien said.

The van between the vehicle and the cyclist created a “perfect storm,” he said, noting that the two did not see each other. The middle school student's bike struck the vehicle near the front and was overturned.

Emergency services responded and took the student to the hospital as a precaution. No one received a report for the accident, O'Brien said.

“It was a freak accident. Nobody intended this to happen,” O'Brien said.