Driver, Passenger Charged In Pedestrian Hit And Run

TEXARKANA, Texas–A driver who allegedly fled the scene after hitting a pedestrian as she crossed State Line Avenue in Texarkana in December has been charged with a felony while his passenger, who allegedly made a false report to 911, has been charged with a misdemeanor.

Zachary Paul Sanders, 36, allegedly hit a 20-year-old woman at approximately 8:30 p.m. as she was crossing the street with her mother as they walked to a convenience store in the 5300 block of State Line, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday.

Sanders, who was allegedly driving a white Mazda passenger car with an Arkansas plate, reportedly stopped, got out of his car and asked the woman if she was okay, as his passenger, Brittanie Ann Smith, 26, slid into the driver’s seat. Sanders allegedly got into the passenger seat of the Mazda as Smith drove into the convenience store parking lot and then sped away.

As the injured woman received assistance from first responders and awaited an ambulance, police collected pieces of the white Mazda from the roadway. Pieces of a white grill, bumper and the vehicle’s emblem were recovered. 

Smith allegedly called 911 after the crash and falsely reported that the car that hit the pedestrian was blue and that she had followed it onto Interstate 30 eastbound. The 911 operator could allegedly hear a man speaking as well before the call was disconnected. The dispatcher called back the number that had reported the crash and a man reportedly claimed the car was on Highway 108 and headed back toward State Line.

While Smith allegedly claimed she was a witness to the crash and was on Interstate-30, emergency dispatch equipment showed the phone she was using was in the area of State Line and Sugar Hill Road in Texarkana, Ark.

Using surveillance footage, investigators were able to obtain the license plate number for the Mazda and determined it had been sold by a previous owner to Sanders. Personnel with the Miller County Sheriff’s Office located and impounded the Mazda.

After obtaining a search warrant for the Mazda from a circuit judge in Miller County, Ark., investigators examined the Mazda. The windshield was severely damaged and bent inward. The grill and emblem were missing and a front light was dangling from the bumper, the affidavit said.

Inside the car, investigators allegedly found property belonging to Sanders, including a work identification card with his photo and paperwork for a bail bond with Sanders’ name on it.

The crash victim’s mother was interviewed at the hospital where her daughter was being treated. She allegedly confirmed that the car that hit her daughter was a white Mazda and provided a description of the driver which matched Sanders.

Sanders has been charged with collision involving serious injury and faces two to ten years in prison if convicted. Smith has been charged with misdemeanor filing a false report.

Sanders is currently being held in the Bowie County jail with bails totaling $215,500. Sanders is being held on felony and misdemeanor warrants for failing to appear in court on multiple charges, court records show.

Sanders’ felony cases have been assigned to 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison. Sanders is represented by the Bowie County Public Defender’s Office.