Woman arrested in connection with crash that injured child

CLOVIS — A woman was arrested this weekend in connection with a late-night crash that sent a young child to a Texas hospital for treatment.

Angelee Molinas, 50, of Clovis, was charged with great bodily harm by vehicle, a third-degree felony, and aggravated DWI, among other charges, following a collision just before midnight Saturday in Clovis.

Clovis police were nearby conducting a traffic stop when they heard the crash between two pickup trucks around 11:36 p.m. at the intersection of Prince Street and Wilhite Road.

“I immediately ran on foot towards the site of the crash and opened the door to a Blue 2011 Dodge Ram,” wrote Officer Francisco Hernandez, who found Molinas alone in the vehicle. “Molinas’ speech was slurred, and Molinas was unable to maintain her balance...I asked Molinas what had happened, Molinas’ story was abstract and did not make sense.”

Molinas told Hernandez she had seven beers, he wrote in a criminal complaint, and she was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after submitting to a field sobriety test.

Meanwhile another officer checked on occupants of the other vehicle, which included “a child bleeding heavily from the face crying.” The 8-year old “had suffered a deep laceration to the left side of his face” and “also suffered two fractures in his jaw,” records show. He was airlifted to Lubbock for “what appeared to be a spinal irregularity.”

Another passenger in the car, the boy’s grandfather, “didn’t have any apparent injuries,” while the driver was cited “for not wearing a seat belt and for no child restraint,” according to the incident report.

The boy was expected to be released Tuesday from the hospital, said his uncle, and had a minor fracture on the jaw but was generally “doing fine.”

Molinas told officer she was driving southbound on Prince and “missed the turn” while attempting to turn onto Wilhite, impacting the other vehicle. The incident report concluded Molinas failed to give right of way for the northbound truck.

She appeared in custody Monday by video during a first appearance in Magistrate Court, during which she was conditionally appointed a public defender, stood silent on the charges and was approved for release on personal recognizance pending another court appearance next month.