A woman in West Virginia was arrested after she allegedly crashed her Chevrolet Malibu and left a child behind in the vehicle as she ran off to hide in the nearby woods.
Sydni Healy has been charged with gross neglect of a child creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury, according to Harrison County court records viewed by Us.
Healy, 31, is currently in custody at the North Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility in Greenwood, West Virginia, and has pleaded not guilty to the charge. It is not currently clear if she has retained legal counsel.
The incident took place on Sunday, September 20, when Healy was driving in Clarksburg, West Virginia. A man told deputies that she had dropped him off at work around 10:40 a.m. and that a child was in the vehicle, according to WDTV. Healy’s relationship with the man is not currently clear.
The man told authorities that Healy initially appeared to be OK, though she eventually started acting odd during their time in the car together.
After Healy allegedly crashed the vehicle, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. Authorities quickly found the child inside the car, but noted that Healy was nowhere to be seen. They checked on the child, who appeared to be OK despite seemingly not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Authorities learned that Healy had fled the scene and ran toward the nearby Summit Park. Deputies eventually found her in the woods, and they gave her field sobriety tests that showed signs of impairment.
Healy was arrested and booked into jail on Monday, September 21. She is currently being held on a $50,000 bond, according to online records viewed by Us.
The man who was with Healy earlier in the day reported to the crash site, where he told law enforcement what had happened when he was with Healy. The child confirmed his version of events, while the child also told officers that they did not know how the crash happened because they were distracted looking at a device.
Authorities have not yet shared how old the child was or how they were related to Healy.
Police also said that the Chevy Malibu experienced severe damage to its roof near the passenger side following the crash.
Healy is next scheduled to appear in Harrison County Magistrate Court for a preliminary hearing on September 29.
