A man whose charges include negligent homicide and 2nd degree battery stemming from a traffic accident in which a Yellville woman was killed appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Thirty-nine-year-old Jason Paul Bosclair of Gassville entered a not guilty plea to his charges.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the crash happened February 10 along U.S. Highway 62/412 near Tucker Cemetery Road. The 2003 Lincoln Town Car driven by Bosclair was reported to have crossed the center line and slammed into a 1999 Ford occupied by 27-year-old Tapanga Maxwell and 45-year-old Brandon Phillips of Lincoln.
According to a report from the Arkansas State Police, the vehicle occupied by Maxwell and Phillips went off the highway after being hit, rolled over and caught fire. Maxwell was killed.
Toxicology tests showed Bosclair to have marijuana and Benzodiazepine in his system At the time, his driver’s license was suspended for driving under the influence.
Benzodiazepine is found in prescription depressants given to relieve anxiety, muscle spasms and seizures. The most common Benzodiazepine are Xanax, Valium and Ativan, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a search of Bosclair’s vehicle the day after the crash turned up a small quantity of marijuana, a vape pen, an unopened box of vape cartridges and an empty box of cartridges.
Information was developed that Bosclair might had been at a marijuana dispensary “getting his medicine” shortly before the fatal accident. Video tape from the dispensary is reported to show Bosclair purchasing items which were later found in his vehicle.
Video in the parking lot showed Bosclair going to his vehicle. He opened and closed the trunk before getting into the drivers seat. He was then seen to move his vehicle and stop straddling two parking spaces.
While stopped, it appears Bosclair was “doing something with his hands.” Before leaving the parking lot, the video shows a light close to Bosclair’s face and his hands in a position making it appear “he was smoking something.”
Bosclair was interviewed four days after the crash at his home in Gassville. He said his trip to town consisted of going to an auto parts store and then to the “medical marijuana place.” Bosclair said he had no memory of events surrounding the accident. He said he woke up in the hospital.
Bosclair said he had been having seizures “a lot lately and don’t know what’s causing it.” He denied “smoking any of the stuff I bought in the dispensary on the way home. I put it all in the glove box.”
According to investigative reports, Bosclair was seen on security cameras in the dispensary between 6:30 and 7 p.m. and the accident occurred at 7:13 p.m.
He is free on $10,000 bond.
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