An Alabama father was recently arrested after allegedly leaving his son behind at the scene of an accident. He is facing a number of criminal charges, including reckless endangerment and a felony count of attempting to elude. The accident and his arrest followed a police chase, although authorities had already stopped pursuing him before the crash.
The 41-year-old father was at a gas station when he was allegedly spotted selling drugs. Although it is unclear what followed immediately after, it ultimately led to a car chase between police and the man, who was driving with his 15-year-old son and one other passenger. However, police chose to end the pursuit because the man was allegedly driving recklessly, and they hoped to encourage him to slow down.
Soon after the pursuit ended, his car collided with a tanker and he fled the scene on foot, leaving his son and other passenger behind. Police spoke with the other passenger while still at the scene of the accident, and the teen was transported to an area hospital, where he later died. The father was located a short while later and allegedly had heroin on him at the time of arrest.
The father’s bail was set at $53,000, although he is currently not charged for anything in relation to his son’s death. The investigation is ongoing, however, and it is possible he will face additional criminal charges in the future. Defendants who are facing the uncertainty of more charges may find it helpful to begin working on their criminal defense plans while investigations are still ongoing.