FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Fort Smith Police Department (FSPD) has arrested a woman they believe is responsible for the Sept. 11 hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist injured.
Over a month after the crash, police arrested 18-year-old Jadyn Jones on charges of failure to yield and leaving the scene of an accident with injury on Oct. 21.
According to police, Jones was identified as the driver of a gray GMC Acadia that crashed into motorcyclist Dillon Elkins at the intersection of Belle and Grand Avenue.
Police released photos of the suspected vehicle on Sept. 23. On Oct. 17, police announced they were still seeking the public's assistance in identifying the suspect.
After detectives pinned down a suspect, they interviewed Jones and took her into custody on Oct. 21.
For the past six weeks, Elkins has been recovering from his severe injuries and left wondering who could've done this to him. The news of the suspect's arrest not only shocked him but also gave him a small sense of closure.
"Initially, it was like shock," Elkins said. "I was really kind of just blown away at the news, but it kind of turn to excitement. I was going to get a bit of closure."
On the other hand, it's hard for him to grapple with the fact that it even happened to him.
"I'm sure that she had her reasons, but it's hard for me," he said. "It's hard for me because I know what it's like to be young and be scared. In that instant, what she had going on was more important than my life, and I get it, but I just wish she would have stopped."
Capt. Daniel Grubbs with FSPD said one of the officers saw the vehicle that fit the description from the case last week.
"Began doing a little bit of homework on that and actually located it in the city of Fort Smith [and] found damage consistent with what we were looking for from this particular accident," Grubbs said. "Some of the unique features on the back that we were looking at fit, and the description of the driver fit exactly what we were being told from witnesses at the scene."
The investigation is still ongoing. Grubbs said they will still need to execute search warrants to pull electronic data from the SUV.
"There are measurables that you can pull from a car — speeds, braking, impact," Grubbs said. "There are devices within cars that we can actually hook up devices that give us measurable readings to."
The police department said they will release more information when it is available and appropriate.
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