Photo: James Ethan Hamby
A not guilty plea has been entered for a Calico Rock man charged with deliberately crossing Arkansas Highway 178, driving his truck into a ditch and striking a relative of his ex-girlfriend.
Twenty-four-year-old James Ethan Hamby’s Mountain Home attorney, Ben Burnett, entered the plea.
The incident happened Oct. 30.
After the pedestrian had been struck, he ran across the highway and into the parking lot of the Novak Liquor store, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Hamby is reported to have jumped out of his truck and chased after the victim on foot for a short distance before giving up, getting back in the truck and fleeing.
When an Arkansas State Police trooper arrived, he reported finding the victim lying behind a fence at a residence along Arkansas Highway 178.
The man told the trooper he knew the person driving the truck only as Ethan and further identified him as the ex-boyfriend of a female cousin of his.
The victim was taken to Baxter Regional Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of what were described as minor injuries.
Other relatives of the ex-girlfriend supplied the driver’s last name as Hamby and told the trooper he lived at an address along Push Mountain Road.
While the trooper was at the scene gathering witness statements, a Norfork police officer spotted the suspect vehicle turning onto Push Mountain Road.
The officer stopped the truck and reported Hamby exited the driver’s seat, removed items from his pockets and then turned and put his hands behind his back.
Hamby was handcuffed and transported to the Baxter County Detention Center without incident. He is charged with aggravated assault and reckless driving.
Other than the reported link between the victim and Hamby’s ex-girlfriend, electronic court documents contain no information on a possible motive behind the incident.
Hamby is free on $25,000 bond.
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