JONESBORO, Ark. – A local party venue that has yet to even officially open was the site of a party last weekend that went too far.
It ended with a 17-year-old, too drunk to safely walk on her own, being carried piggyback across the road. Both she and the person carrying her were hit by a truck and hospitalized.
Saturday night, May 4, was party night for graduating students at Valley View High School. The Glass Factory was the venue – formerly Martin’s Glass Company until it was transformed into the party/wedding venue that has yet to even host it’s grand opening as of this publication. The venue was rented by the mother of a Valley View graduate (we have not verified a name). No staff from The Glass Factory were involved in the event Saturday night, we are told.
Arm bands were made for the teens at Valley View to be able to get in to the event. However, the arm bands ended up being sold to other students, including Jonesboro High School kids. One of the JHS students who attended was the child of a parent that contacted NEA Report.
The venue was to be rented at 5 PM and be finished by Midnight. By 11 PM, there were “many” minors who were drunk, a party-goer’s mother told me. She said some were throwing up outside. A 17-year-old was so drunk, she could not safely walk, so she called her 19-year-old brother to come get her. He picked her up and carried her, piggy back style. What happened next ended the party.
As the two crossed into the road, at 11:07 PM, they were struck by a 2011 Chevrolet pickup driven by Jacob Robbins, 34, of Jonesboro. He called 911 at 11:09 PM, two minutes after the first 911 call. After some confusion regarding the address, Jonesboro Fire Department, Medic One EMS, and police arrived at the correct location.
The crash report said both were taken to St. Bernard’s Medical Center for their injuries, although it did not specify severity. According to one parent, the young man was okay. The 17-year-old suffered a broken nose and lacerations to her mouth/face but will recover.
The reporting officer determined the driver was not at fault for the accident.
A number of furious parents contacted NEA Report and asked why no media outlets in town had covered the story. We submitted a Freedom of Information Act request Monday afternoon for any police reports made during that night at that location. We were told there were no reports.
However, Public Information Specialist Sally Smith was able to find the traffic report Tuesday, with extensive research, due to them being entered into the system as under “The Glass and Container Factory on Johnson.” This was the incorrect address responders first were dispatched to.
Because no criminal incident report was completed, the encounter fell under the radar of media outlets who normally do not receive daily traffic reports. Once prompted with the knowledge by parents, NEA Report was able to gain access to the needed reports.
NEA Report reached out for comment to The Glass Factory, who sent us this statement.
“In response to your inquiry regarding the event at the Glass Factory on May 4, 2019, the circumstances surrounding the event are under review and we cannot disclose any details without the consent of all parties involved.”
The Glass Factory ownership
One parent contacted us, asking (anonymously, of course) why there was no police investigation.
“Supposedly, [the party host] charged each kid to get in and knew alcohol was coming in and being drank. Isn’t she in charge and shouldn’t she have charges against her for every kid waking in that place? Contributing to a minor?”
Since responding officers did not file an incident report, unless detectives unexpectedly open a case file, it is unlikely for police to be involved any further.
The reporting officer determined the driver was not at fault for the accident, isn’t it always the driver’s fault when they hit a pedestrian kinda like when you hit someone in the ass it’s always your fault.I know they shouldn’t have been drinking “was a B.A.C. done at the hospital to prove they were drunk and if they were the parents should be charged” it doesn’t matter if it’s prom would they still sweep it under the rug if they were killed? This goes to show how corrupt the city is if something happens that makes the city look bad they want to sweep it under the rug as fast as they can.
Oh damn if their isn’t a marked crosswalk there or warning signs for driver’s to see these kids are going to get paid it doesn’t matter if they were drinking or not that’s negligence on the city’s part if its not properly marked.
y’all act like y’all never did anything wrong as a kid
Moral decay of our youth is on full display! Too drunk to walk….WTF? parents are upset??? lol, what they freak did they think was going to happen at a graduation party? and this Jay guy above is a first class moron.
Oh please elaborate tell me how that makes me a first class moron?
Regardless of kids and what they are doing the title of this is insane and this has no facts in it. What’s wrong with this is no regard for life orthe fact that a driver (pedestrians always have the right away) plowed down 2 teenage kids and doesn’t care what happened to them.
The driver stopped and told the kids to cross and then gunned it clipping the kids. Let’s get our facts straight. He was also laughing when he came back to the scene, talking to the police officers after he left for 6 minutes, probably disposing of something. Why would you laugh about hitting children? He was obviously not in the right state of mind.