Jeffrey J. Atkinson, 55, of Dayton, is facing one count each of aggravated vehicular assault, failure to stop after an accident and OVI, according to Dayton Municipal Court records. The OVI charge is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Atkinson is accused of hitting the three girls and a woman while he was driving his Hummer H3 and turning left onto Wayne Avenue from Clover Street.
He failed to yield the right of way and hit the group as they were crossing the street in a crosswalk, according to court documents. The crash took place at about 9:20 p.m. Monday.
“The driver ultimately struck multiple family members, but his vehicle caught a (young) girl on her bicycle and basically drug her down the street for about a half a mile before the girl became dislodged from the vehicle,” said Dayton police Sgt. Gordon Cairns.
A crash report listed the other pedestrians as a second 9-year-old girl also on a bike and a 44-year-old woman holding a 1-year-old girl.
The 9-year-old girl and her bike were pinned under the SUV and were dragged until they became dislodged from the Hummer as Atkinson was on South Keowee Street approaching East Fifth Street.
The 9-year-old girl who was dragged by the SUV was taken to Miami Valley Hospital with serious injuries, according to the crash report. The other two girls were taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital with minor injuries. The woman also had minor injuries.
Witnesses followed the Hummer to Cowboys Lido Bar at 4308 Springfield St., according to court documents. Officers responded and identified the suspect as Atkinson.
Crews noted Atkinson was unsteady, had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and a flushed face with bloodshot, glassy eyes, according to court records.
An affidavit added that he had urine-soiled clothing and a remorseful attitude. Atkinson reportedly admitted to a detective that he had consumed alcoholic beverages.
He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail late Monday night.
A group of people who live and work near Wayne Avenue or who regularly travel along the busy corridor say it’s dangerous and roadway upgrades are needed to make it safer.
“On behalf of the Wayne Avenue Traffic Safety Coalition, we are saddened to have to witness yet another incident of negligent traffic violence outside the doorsteps of our homes and local businesses,” the group wrote in a prepared statement. “The coalition has been working with the city officials and the Ohio Department of Transportation on a Safety Study to help improve safety conditions for everyone who travels on Wayne Avenue, but we know we cannot prevent traffic crashes with infrastructure improvements alone. It is our hope that everyone reading this understands that driving is a responsibility, and that life inside and outside of your vehicle depends on your own self awareness.”