A Boone County woman has been arrested for an October crash that injured eight people, including five children, three of which had to be airlifted due to the severity of their injuries. Twenty-nine-year-old Rebecca Ann Romine of Harrison is facing nine charges for the crash, five of them felonies after drugs were found in her system.
According to the probable cause affidavit released this week by the Arkansas State Police, the crash happened the afternoon of Oct. 23 in front of the rest area on U.S. Highway 65 north of Harrison. The rest area was closed to the public at the time of the crash.
The troopers report indicates Romine attempted to pull from the driveway of the rest area and was struck by a semi which was southbound on Highway 65. Following the impact, Romines vehicle rotated 180 degrees and was struck by a third vehicle in the inside northbound lane.
Romine, an adult passenger and one of three children in her vehicle were taken by ambulance to North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison. The child was then flown to Arkansas Childrens Hospital in Little Rock.
Two other children in Romines vehicle where flown from the scene to Mercy Hospital in Springfield and later transferred to Childrens Hospital in St. Louis. Both were considered near death according to the report.
The driver and two child passengers from the northbound vehicle that hit Romines car were all taken to North Arkansas Regional Medical Center by ambulance. The driver of the semi was transported to by hospital by law enforcement for treatment.
Blood samples taken from Romine were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab and indicated the presence of methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, alprazolam and amphethamine.
Romine is facing two counts of second degree battery and three counts of first degree endangering the welfare of a minor, all felonies, along with misdemeanor counts of DWI drugs (3rd offense), reckless driving, failure to yield when turning left and failure to obey traffic control device. Romine is free on $10,000 bond.
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