Police probing hit-and-runs

DECATUR — Over the past week, there were two unrelated reports of drivers leaving the scene of an accident in Decatur.

During the early hours of March 27, Derrick Perry drove his 2007 Chevrolet HHR off Little John Road, according to a police report. The vehicle slid into an embankment and flipped onto its roof before coming to a rest on its side.

Perry then left the scene of the accident and failed to report it. Perry later allegedly told police he received a text message and ran off the road while he was replying. He also admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the evening, the police report said.

He was cited for leaving the scene of an accident, texting while driving and for not having insurance.

On March 23, James Dell of Granby, Mo. contacted police after a tan car ran a stop sign and struck his vehicle's bumper, then fled the scene. According to the police report, Dell was traveling south on Arkansas Highway 59 when a woman failed to stop her car at the intersection of Arkansas 102 and Arkansas Highway 59, near the viaduct. The woman's car struck Dell's bumper, causing some damage. The woman then backed her car up and left the scene.

Police were unable to locate the woman. She was described as being blond and had either a Missouri or Oklahoma license plate, the report said.