A 61-year-old man from Alma has been arrested for the second time in connection with the fatal accident that claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy earlier this month.
According to court documents, Craig Asplund was suspected of being under the influence of a narcotic analgesic at the time of the incident. He turned himself in to police on Tuesday evening and was arrested on charges of negligent homicide, as confirmed by a news release from the Fort Smith Police Department.
Asplund was released on a $25,000 bond from the Sebastian County Detention Center the same evening. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 30. Previously, Asplund had been arrested on October 11 for driving while intoxicated - drugs, a misdemeanor, and was released on a $1,500 bond the following day.
The fatal accident occurred around 5 p.m. on October 11 at the intersection of Kelley Highway and 44th Street. The victim, a seventh-grader from Kimmons Middle School, succumbed to his injuries from the accident. According to a warrant affidavit filed Tuesday, Asplund, who was driving a 2016 Ram 2500 pickup, left his job at Craig’s Car Care and approached the intersection where the tragedy unfolded.
Asplund made a right turn onto Kelley Highway and struck the 13-year-old boy who was crossing the road. Video footage revealed that the boy was run over by both the front and back wheels of Asplund's pickup. Despite the absence of a painted crosswalk, the crossing qualified as an "unmarked crosswalk" under Arkansas state law, requiring drivers to yield to pedestrians.
Police officers who arrived at the scene noted that Asplund appeared tense, lethargic, and sleepy, almost dozing off during their interaction. He failed three field sobriety tests, but his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test registered zero. Suspecting narcotic impairment, a drug recognition expert was called in and observed that Asplund seemed drowsy and slumped in a chair.
The expert's assessment concluded that Asplund was under the influence of a narcotic analgesic, impairing his ability to drive safely. Asplund disclosed that he regularly takes over-the-counter medications such as Nyquil, Tylenol, and melatonin, along with a prescription analgesic Ketorolac at night.
He mentioned using the narcotic Tramadol for pain but claimed he hadn't taken it in two months.
Urine and blood samples were collected and sent to the State Crime Laboratory for analysis, though the results were not immediately available.
